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Written by Anna Mation
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 Smells Like a Scouse Ferry-Tale
Director: David Morrissey
Main Cast: James Brough, Helen Elizabeth
David Morrissey (Nowhere Boy, The Other Boleyn Girl) is well established in the acting world, packing a powerful punch on screen time after time. But does he manage to re-create the same magic behind the camera? After a shaky opening scene, the answer is thankfully yes. With a clear and strong connection between the romantic leads, as well as pondering pans of the city and surrounding beaches of Liverpool, this is definitely a feature debut worth being proud of.
DVD Release Date: 8th March 2010
 Cars throng in the streets and commuters cradle their caffeine-giving life force in crowded train stations – this is London in rush hour. Cheeky cockney lad David (James Brough) struts around a hotel suite as his blonde lady friend from the previous night readies herself to depart. Hasty farewells are made, but Dave soon finds himself following his Liverpudlian temptress back to her home town – she’s forgotten a vital presentation for work. But instead of receiving thanks for the thought, Dave’s impromptu day trip turns sour – his one night stand failed to inform him that she’s already spoken for. It is official: women are good-for-nothing liars.
After drowning his sorrows in the pub (nice POV from the bar top, seeing the empty glasses accumulate), Dave ends up sleeping rough. He wakes up in a gutter to discover his wallet has been nicked. It is official: Liverpool sucks. So can womankind or this strange new city go any way in redeeming themselves? This quandary is solved in one fell swoop when Dave meets Tina (Helen Elizabeth) in a betting shop – his last ditch attempt at getting some money together so he can make his way back home. She helps him pick the winning horse and in the excitement of his solvency Dave asks her to show him the sights and sounds of Liverpool. Maybe this place isn’t so bad after all…
After bearing witness to a severe lack of chemistry in the first sequence (or was that engineered on purpose?), it is notable the way Dave and Tina light up the screen. It turns out that James Brough and Helen Elizabeth were the originators and co-writers of the project, so it’s unclear if these stellar performances were coaxed out by Morrissey or already there, but either way, it works. Once this couple begin their meandering tour of the township, the film starts to fulfil its full potential.
The camera doesn’t merely track behind Dave and Tina like a lost dog, waiting to record the initial sparks of their relationship, but rather sits in various interesting positions (beside the rusting face of a cast iron figurine on Crosby Beach, behind the screen of a confession booth in church) and lets it all happen. This is clearly a love story – one between a man and a woman, but also between the audience and the location – as told through lingering shots and re-affirmed with acoustic guitar and soulful strings. However, this isn’t your atypical romantic story - between the nuanced glances and emotional revelations, there are timely comic moments to lighten the mood.
The European City of Culture looks beautiful bathed in the natural light of day (sunrise and sunset both given equal screen time). Even a time-lapse sequence of clouds scudding across the sky has its appeal. But it is the combination of man-made structures set against water that really evoke the senses – with everything seen in shimmering duplicate. Definitions of loneliness are laid bare and everything about the film prompts hope, with the characters and the place itself leaving you with a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
Country of Origin: UK
Running Time: 89 mins
Certificate: 15 |
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 31 March 2010 10:06 |
Out now on DVD 
