Mindhorn

Dir: Sean Foley

2016

****

Mindhorn is a low budget British comedy that parodies such classic TV shows such as Bergerac and The Six Billion Dollar Man. It sounds bad on paper, such films are always a disappointment but, I’m relieved to say, Mindhorn finally gets the concept right and is hilarious from start to finish. Even though many of the jokes and sequences are clearly in reference to Bergerac – a hit British detective drama set on the Island of Jersey during the 1980s – I think Mindhorn is fairly universal. It is set on the Isle of Man and makes reference to several English actors and TV programs but the sci-fi ‘Six Billion Dollar Man’ element should via most viewers along the right road and if you ‘got’ Hot Fuzz then you should have no problem here. The humour is the best kind of silly. Written by the brilliant Julian Barratt and Simon Farnaby, fans will know what to expect but they should also know that this is some of their best work. Julian Barratt is brilliant in the lead role and Simon Farnaby’s supporting role is just as exceptional. I giggled from start to finish. Barratt’s performance as washed up actor is what you’d expect and honestly what you’d want from such a character. He’s not stupid, although he comes across as such, he will surprise you now and again by just how tuned in he is albeit in denial, but they haven’t made the character a complete idiot, which was quite important. The story is fairly realistic, utterly ridiculous but totally believable. It’s as surreal and silly as you’d expect from Barratt and Farnaby, without the amazing set-pieces of Bunny and the Bull (although there is a particular surreal sequence that hard-core fans will relish) but with one of the funniest scripts I’ve heard since What We Do In The Shadows. It’s clear that they got Steve Coogan and Kenneth Branagh involved to appeal to the American market but they weren’t really needed, it is brilliant with or without them to be honest. At first the storyline feels somewhat predictable but this is instantly addressed and everything becomes wonderfully unexpected. Indeed, many typical and clichéd storylines are explored, albeit briefly, before being thrown out the window in comic fashion. It is fair to say that Barratt and Farnaby keep all the laughs to themselves, although that said, they are a million times funnier than most people, they certainly aren’t selfish in this regard. The straight characters are all very well performed and cast, indeed, Russell Tovey’s character (a man with mental illness who believes Mindhorn is a real person) can’t have been easy to play, and Essie Davis and Andrea Riseborough do very well considering they are generally sandwiched between Barratt and Farnaby for most of the film. The brilliant comedy performances aside, the other big success of the film is the attention to detail. The Mindhorn opening sequence looks totally authentic, the TV clip of Richard Thorncroft (the name of the actor who plays Mindhorn) appearing drunk on a 1980s chat show – as so many famous TV and film stars did back then on British television looked completely legitimate, as if Mindhorn was a real program and Thorncroft a real person. It is this wonderful interplay between the character Mindhorn and Thorncroft who plays him that makes the film so clever. Barratt makes it look easy. Sure he’s got the right look and certainly is helped by his voice, but he manages to develop various stages between the two fictional characters quite brilliantly, bring authenticity to the fictional TV star. I honestly can’t think of any other comedy writing/performing duos who could have pulled this off. There are elements of Hot Fuzz and Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa about the film, Mindhorn is certainly born from the same family tree, but I would argue that it’s funnier than its relatives. I’m really not surprised Barratt and Farnaby have made a funny film, I’m just amazed that after so many of these types of films they even attempted it, but I’m thrilled that they have. One of the funniest films of 2016 and one of the funniest British comedies of recent years.