MR RIGHT
UK, 2006, 95 minutes, Colour.
Luke de Woolfson, Benjamin Hart, James Lance, Rocky Marshall, David Morris, Maddie Planer, Georgia Zaris, Leon Ockendon.
Directed by Jacqui Morris.
Mr Right is a romantic comedy set in London's Soho and Brick Lane with an excursion to Northhampton. Because it is set amongst London's gay community, it has been billed as a 'hom-rom-com' (and a reviewer who did not care for it – or thought this up before he went in), labelled it a 'hom-rom-com-bom'.
Directed by Jaqui Morris from a screenplay by her gay brother, David, who plays Tom the art gallery proprietor, it begins as a fairly indulgently camp introduction to a group of characters who are mainly involved in the arts and media. It builds up to a dinner party where tensions run high and break ups are the order of the day. It picks up a bit in terms of interest in character and themes when a would-be actor who is a better cook and caterer goes home to visit his working class, fairly non-comprehending family. The other character who is a little more interesting is a father, divorced, whose wife has been killed in a car crash, who is trying to bring up his very young daughter while trying to maintain a relationship.
Much of the dialogue seems over-written, complicated clauses and sentences which militate against a feel of credible and realistic conversation. Some of the acting seems stilted and, at the beginning, a fair amount of posturing. Reticent in terms of language and sexual behaviour, it hopes to appeal to a sympathetic audience for some understanding.
1.A romantic comedy? Gender, sex? The writer and the director and their perspective?
2.Stereotypes and camp? Reticence about sexual activity? Relationships? Falling in and out of love?
3.London, the Soho settings, flats, bars, streets? East London and Brick Lane? Northampton? The television homes?
4.The title, each character as Mr Right?
5.The introduction, Louise, interviewed, the issue of dating, Paul and her disillusionment?
6.The introduction to the characters, their life and style, relationships, jobs, personalities, their stories – leading up to the confrontational dinner?
7.The dinner, Alex and his cooking, Louise bringing Paul? Paul’s curiosity? The various couples, behaviour, talk, tensions, blow-up?
8.The consequences for each, the film becoming more serious? Problems and resolutions?
9.Harry, his mother, the visits, her understanding of him? Her reaction to Alex, thinking he was not good enough? Protective of her son? His TV work, working with Hannah, liking her, her pregnancy? The programs, people looking at houses, renovations? Charlie and the tantrum and his weeping, leaving the set? The decision to employ Larrs? The ambiguity of the attraction, the reuniting and Alex’s suspicions? The dinner? The break-up? Larrs and his return?
10.Alex, wanting to be an actor, camp style, the jealousy for Lawrence? Catty, his work in catering, his success? The dinner, his cooking? Jealousy of Larrs? The Northampton visit, issues at home, his father and his tolerance, his mother, the brother and his criticisms yet giving him the money for the flat? The flat, Louise helping him decorate it? Encountering the enthusiast for Malthus? The play, the advertisements, his not knowing Malthus’s ideas and the criticisms? His failure? Trying to be honest, talking with Harry, change? Breaking up? The caterers giving him the company – and his success?
11.William, married and divorced, the rugby player? His wife’s death? Looking after Georgia? Relationships, the bond with Lawrence? His being with Lawrence and Georgia in her Halloween costume? His mother? His work, the gallery? His wanting Georgia to like Lawrence? The break, the dinner, Lawrence walking out? His efforts? Harry inviting him to be a consultant on the television program? Finding the sketch, with Georgia in the park? Georgia punching the little boy, their becoming friends? Talking with the boy’s mother? Georgia helping him with the sketch? Lawrence and the reunion, the dinner, the discussion about the Tudors and Georgia’s change?
12.Lawrence, the soap opera star, performance, flings, relationship with William, different, leaving, the return?
13.Tom, the artist, the gallery? The clients and the painting of Da Vinci? Harry and his intervention about Da Vinci? Larrs and supporting him? Larrs going off?
14.Larrs, jobs, failing, with Tom? The television program, the attraction to harry? Talk, leaving, the return, his having made up the story?
15.Paul and Louise, their relationship, Paul’s fascination, camp, the bar, the gift of the scented candles, the macho style, the end at the bar?
16.Louise and her friends, the relationship with Paul, her criticising herself for not seeing the signs, the effect?
17.The portrait of mothers and families and their attitudes towards their gay relatives?
18.How interesting, how entertaining, how well were the issues dramatised for understanding?
