Treacle Jr.

Dir: Jamie Thraves

2010

**

In 1998, Jamie Thraves made a brilliant short film called I Just Want To Kiss You. It starred Martin Freeman and created quite a buzz for both men. I absolutely loved it and enjoy watching it now and again when I'm in need of a bit of 90s nostalgia. Freeman's career has gone from strength to strength since but Thraves has made very little, which has surprised me but I'm afraid Treacle Jr. is far from the feature film I had hoped from him. After the huge success he has gained from his music video work, I found it strange no one would produce him and give him a budget but this maybe why. Treacle Jr. actually won awards and was praised by critics but I'm perplexed by the fact it was made in the first place. I like a quirky drama/comedy that has very little story as much as the next man, especially if it is well constructed and contains impressive performances but I'm afraid Treacle Jr. was and had none of those things. Tom Fisher's character wasn't in the least bit intriguing and his performance was wooden. I'm not Aidan Gillen's biggest fan, he stole every scene he was in here and was celebrated by the critics but I personally think his performance was somewhat of a cheap trick, a very easy part and compared to everything else about the film, easy to shine above. The story never grabbed me, the terrible accents annoyed me and questions were left unanswered. It all seemed a little slap-dash, without substance and a little bit pointless. Riann Steele made it look like a collage project and I still can't believe this is the same Jamie Thraves who made the video for Radiohead's 'Just'.