Starbuck
Dir: Ken Scott
2011
*****
I'm not used to using the word delightful, it doesn't really sound right when I say it but I can think of no better word to describe Starbuck. It's got nothing to do with expensive or sickeningly sweet coffee but probably has something to do with Moby Dick, the sperm Whale rather than the character. Starbuck is 42, unsuccessful but a good sort. His life is turned upside-down when he discovers that thanks to an administrative mistake at his local sperm bank, he is father to 142 people, most of who now want to meet him. The interesting premise could lead to all sorts of possibilities, Ken Scott's version is tender, subtle and very funny indeed. Like all good non-English language films, the Hollywood remake came just 2 years later. The sure sign of success. Just make sure you see this one first!