GRIMSBY

UK, 2016, 83 minutes, Colour.
Sacha Baron Cohen, Mark Strong, Rebel Wilson, Isla Fisher, Ian McShane?, Penelope Cruz, Tamsin Egerton, Ricky Tomlinson, Johnny Vegas, Scott Adkins, Gabourey Sidibe.
Directed by Louis Letterier.

An initial word is necessary for audiences contemplating going to see Grimsby. For those with high sensitivity and fastidious sensibility, probably best to give it a miss.

On the other hand, for those with a more robust sense of humour and a tolerance towards the crass, it is often very funny, as might be expected of a film with Sacha Baron Cohen. His initial career was in satiric comedy, creating the television character, Ali G, venturing into the movies as well. Ali G was intrusive, funny, controversial – with more than a touch of vulgarity. Then Baron Cohen won over audiences with his very funny satire, and the visit to Tajikistan, Borat. Bruno, his intrusive adventures and interviews in the United States, was less successful, but he made something of a comeback with The Dictator. He also appeared a number of films including Sweeney Todd and Les Miserables.

This film is much the same except… The setting is in the Northern British town, working town, Grimsby, where Baron Cohen plays Nobby Butcher, an awkward-looking (thanks to imitating Noel Gallagher), pot-bellied father of nine children, often with movie names like Django Unchained. (A lot of funny movie references, jokes about Daniel Radcliffe and Harry Potter and Aids, and satire on Donald Trump).He has a girlfriend, Dawn, played by Rebel Wilson. We are introduced to him in the pub, with fireworks in unseemly places, raucous laughter and pub friends like Ricky Tomlinson and Johnny Vegas. While fingers are poked at the citizens of Grimsby, and an acknowledgement that they often are called scum, he has real affection for them, the foibles and way of life. And the support of football teams and Britain in World Cups.

But, he has a deep yearning to find his younger brother, Sebastian, from whom he was separated when they became orphans and only one was adopted. There are photos, there are many flashbacks of the boys playing together and their separation, Nobby sacrificing himself for Sebastian. With this family emphasis, the characters and situations are made more humane than is usual in the film. It has also been scripted rather than relying on a lot of improvisation.

It is also a spy film. We soon discover that Sebastien is one of the arch-agents in pursuing criminals and getting information, lots of action chases. It would seem that this is the reason for the director, Louis Letterier (Transporter films and other action shows) to be brought in and provide a lot of adrenaline-action.

Of course, the two brothers meet, Nobby ruining his brother’s mission and getting him targeted as a rogue spy, hiding out in Grimsby, and going to pursue leads in Africa and, finally, a World Cup climax in Chile to save the world at a World Cup match.

Baron Cohen’s wife, Isla Fisher, plays the contact at MI6 and Ian McShane? in chain is the boss. On the other hand, Penelope Cruz is a villain (a surprise to see her here, although she was in Zoolander 2).

There are a lot of visual gags, but audiences may be wondering with all the verbal and visual jokes about masculine identity, sniggering jokes of the schoolboy kind, each one daring the audience to laugh and then moving on to yet another, more explicit, joke. People will be talking about the elephant sequence – absolutely crass, absolutely preposterous, yet given the humane aspects of the characterisations, more acceptable than it might have been!

There is plenty going on in the brief running time, a lot of corny jokes, misunderstandings, misinterpretations, but the action moving on quickly to the next episode and joke.

Mark Strong as Sebastian deserves great commendation for his playing everything straight and getting himself into all kinds of uncomfortable situations that he is never had to face in any other of his films.


1. Impact? Humour? The presence of Sacha Baron Cohen, his variety of impersonations? Satire and spoof?

2. Audience response to this kind of satire, spoof, jokes, crass jokes?

3. The work of the director, his reputation for action films, utilising his skill for this espionage story?

4. The title, the British town, the inhabitants, types, homes, pubs, football matches? Called scum? Travelling internationally? The pluses and minuses of these characters?

5. And the film made humane compared with other Baron Cohen films? Nobby, the kids, their movie names, relationship with Dawn, family values? Yearning for his brother? The many flashbacks, as boys together, invading the football field, pranks at home, orphans, going to the institution, adoption, the choice of only one, Nobby sacrificing himself? The humane aspects giving the film some emotion?

6. The spy situation, the conventions, the elaborate initial test for Sebastian? His supervisors? Jodie and her role, keeping him informed?

7. The range of jokes, some of them preposterous like that of the elephants? Jokes about masculinity, male identity, male sexuality, the jokes about male sexual behaviour?

8. Sacha Baron Cohen and his screen persona, his look, looking like Noel Gallagher, in action, close-ups, paunch, his teeth? The jokes?

9. Grimsby, the family, the range of friends in the pub, talking about his brother, the ordinary people, the pub scenes, the scenes in Chile? Dawn, blunt, at home, and Chile?

10. Nobby, discovering his brother, going to the meeting, wanting to bond, the poster and the penis joke, rubbing his fingers? Embracing his brother, the bad shot, the blame, Sebastian considered a rogue spy, the pursuit, the dangers? Nobby helping him to escape, the car, into the river? Taking Sebastian home, the privacy of the house, the kids, the pub and the party, Sebastian shooting, the team of the assassins, the kids defending their father and uncle, getting away, the trip to Africa?

11. The government, the commander, Jodie, Sebastian in action, the initial chase, the information, spectacular action? As rogue, the enemy assassins, the government bringing Chilcott into action, the pursuit?

12. Africa, the setup, the arrows and the sucking of the poison in time, at the hotel, the mistaken syringe and Sebastian getting the heroin? Nobby assuming his role, Jodie and the camera and her guidance? The woman in green, mixing up with the maid, the sexual encounter, the toilet, the discussions with the actual woman in green, the ambiguity of the conversation? The attack, Sebastian to the rescue? The long episode with the elephants? Preposterous and crass?

13. Information about Rhonda, the virus, the conference, the attempted assassination, the boy with AIDS, the shooting, the blood, Daniel Radcliffe and AIDS? The plan for Chile, the World Cup, Rhonda present, the plan, her motivations, exploitation, her thugs?

14. Nobby and Sebastian, the drug dealer in Africa and his sense of humour, flying them to Chile, in the procession, discovered by MI6?

15. Everyone in Chile, the plan, the disguise, the target, the two men getting onto the field, the Grimsby supporters, memories of the past, the shots, the AIDS boy and his falling, Daniel Radcliffe, Donald Trump and his getting the AIDS blood?

16. The confrontation, Nobby’s kids attacking Rhonda, the arrests, the sitting on the rockets, the injuries, Nobby and Sebastian in
hospital, the jokes about his wounds?

17. The happy ending and family?