STAGGERED

UK, 1994, 95 minutes, Colour.
Martin Clunes, Michael Praed, Sarah Winman, Virginia McKenna?, Anna Chancellor, Sylvia Sims, Griff Rhys Jones, Michael Medwin.
Directed by Martin Clunes.

Staggered is a small-budget British comedy in the vein of Four Weddings and a Funeral. However, this time there is only one wedding. It is enjoyable, with the light touch - but not without ironies. Martin Clunes is the star and was asked to take over the direction. Michael Praed (TV's Robin Hood) is the villain. There are enjoyable guest roles from veterans Virginia McKenna?, Michael Medwin and Sylvia Sims as the bride's mother.

The film is an odyssey of the innocent young man, stranded after his bucks' night party naked on an island in Scotland, and the various adventures he has in order to get back to London in time for the wedding. It makes for an engaging look at lifestyle in Britain in the '90s.

1. Cheerful comedy? British comedy and its style?

2. The London settings, Scotland, the range of British settings as Neil makes his journey back to London? Musical score and songs?

3. The title, Neil's adventure, the stag party and his being taken in and, to that extent, staggered?

4. The structure of the film: the video interviews of Neil, his view on what happened, audience sympathy towards him, his version of the events?

5. The picture of Neil, his voice-over, interrogated by the police, age and experience, a nice and good young man, a toy demonstrator, his reliance on Gary? Love for Hilary? The background of Gary's relationship with her? Gary arranging the stag party? Drinking and dancing, the drug in the drink, the helicopter trip to Scotland, finding himself naked and stranded on the beach, the Scottish recluse and her helping him, rowing him to the mainland, phoning Gary, the information about plane tickets and clothes, his being given a lift on the plane? Getting dressed at the airport, the arrest on the plane, the antagonism of the inspector, the toys being stolen? His being put in the cell with Nutter, the suggestions of assault in the cell but their playing Scrabble, Nutter's reaction and the violence, Neil in shock? The hospital, the inspector on guard, the discussion with Carmen in the morgue, using her phone? Her pop psychiatry and her thesis? Neil and the old man going to the toilet, waking up, taking the car, phoning Carmen to tell her that it was all right - the brake going and its crashing and smashing? The lift with Graham, the meal and his getting something to eat? The discussions with Graham in the car, the sex encounter and his running away? His arrest, interrogation, Margaret coming to see him in prison and indicating that all was planned against him? The charges being dropped, Carmen's arrival and her decision to help? The new car? The cafe and his facing the gunman with courage? The night in the hotel, no relationship with Carmen? His wanting to marry Hilary, Carmen and the money for the train, the encounter with Gary in the toy shop, the discovery of the truth, his being tied up, the children bashing him about in the disguise, Carmen freeing him, the taxi, too late at the church, going to the wedding reception, the confrontation of Gary, the fight, the truth, the matter of the money, Hilary's parents, separating from Hilary?

6. Gary as Neil's friend, two-timing, relationship with Tina, with Hilary, discarding her, the discovery about the money? Ingratiating himself with Margaret? The lies, the stag party, the helicopter, the phone calls, the dinner with Hilary, the mock repentance, the encounter with Neil at the shop, tying him up, the marriage, the final fight?

7. Hilary as nice, the wedding dress, her mother seeing her as a princess? Her mother's scheme for Gary? Her visiting Neil? Margaret with her husband, the videographer? The father as being a pleasant man? Hilary and her falling for Gary's words, deciding to marry him - and then finally being stood up by Neil?
8. Carmen and her looking like a character from a Hammer horror film? Finland, psychiatry, her data and thesis, in the morgue, her interrogation, the car being taken, the new car, her being a witness? The cafe and the gun? Her willingness for a sexual encounter, her deciding to help Neil with the money? Coming to his support at the end, the shot, the taxi, the wedding breakfast? With him at the interrogation - a possible future?

9. The inspector, the interrogations, his accident, his anger?

10. Graham as the salesman, his useless material, eating in the restaurant, friendship with Neil, travelling in the car - and the irony of the middle-aged state suburban women and their sex games? The policewoman?

11. The incidental characters and their contributing to the film: the Scottish woman on her island, having wanted to be a nun, the old patient going to the toilet, the sex people, the man with the gun in the cafe, Tina at the shop?

12. A comedy odyssey, Neil and his sense of destiny, a nice man of integrity confronting suburban evil?