FESTIVAL

UK, 2005, 107 minutes, Colour.
Amelia Bullmore, Billy Carter, Johah Loton, Stephen Mangan, Lyndsey Marshall, Stuart Milligan, Daniela Nadini, Chris O’ Dowd, Lucy Punch, Clive Russell.
Directed by Annie Griffin.

Festival refers to the Edinburgh Fringe festival. The writer-director, Annie Griffin, was American-born but moved to Scotland and has lived there for several decades. She captures the atmosphere of the city of Edinburgh, especially the world of stand-up comedy in clubs, streets, all kinds of performance.

There is a rather large cast with a whole range of different comedians, journalists, producers, the public. It also focuses on ordinary people in Edinburgh, especially those who run boarding houses for the visitors.

The film offers a lot of stand-up comedy, some of it in bad taste, some of it very funny. It is an atmospheric film with a rather dark sense of humour.

1. A character portrait? The Edinburgh Festival? Edinburgh as a city, a character? Interaction of characters? Festival situations, crises?

2. The use of Edinburgh city, its life, the people, vitality, the crowds, the festival atmosphere, the street scenes, behind the scenes: accommodation, messing accommodation, restaurants, theatre spaces?

3. The structure of the film: the introduction to Faith, entering into the festival with her? The introduction to the range of characters, the interviews, their being intercut? The musical score?

4. The film as a comedy? As serious? The dialogue and the nature of comedy, being funny, the nature of satire, black comedy, verbal, pratfalls? The topics of humour? Crass and sexual humour? The need for laughs? The audiences making the comedians?

5. The Fringe Festival, the range of performances, the venues, the people performing, the audiences, the jury and their meetings, the award night?

6. The members of the jury, the meetings, the expression of views, the pretentious attitudes, the mouthing of platitudes, personal prejudices, bias, pressuring juries? The satire on arts juries?

7. Faith, her arrival, eagerness, giving out leaflets about her play, the venue, meeting Roger, his insulting her? The discussion about props and daffodils? Her encounter with Brother Mike, his performance, the current issue of paedophile priests? Scenes of his performance, of her performance, her rewrites? Giving daffodils to the audience? Their friendship, their changing? Meeting Shaun Sullivan, Faith not knowing who he was, infatuated, leaving the message at the hotel, his attempted seduction, her almost succumbing – but her feeling that the play was the most important thing for her and her running off at the end?

8. Shaun Sullivan, his reputation, the radio interview, his surliness, his treatment of Petra? The verbal sparring with Joan on air, the hostility, his intention of making it funny but his actually meaning it? The encounter with Nicky, the sexual encounter, indulgence? Using Petra to set people up? His going to the various performances and leaving? His performance at the jury, being obnoxious? His wanting the agent? Tommy and his seeming hostility? Petra and her leaving, her tantrum? The discussions with Arnold? The cavalier attitude towards his fans, autographs, smiling in public? The attitude towards Nicky, his becoming jealous of her? His meanness at the announcement, tricking her and her making a speech, her punching him? His seeking out Faith, the ending and his being abandoned in the lift?

9. Petra, the serious personality of the film, the details of her work as an agent, having to act as a pimp for Shaun? Her exasperation? Keeping him up to the timetables? As a person, as a recovering alcoholic, the drink, her ringing her counsellor, not having the drink? Her angers, her treatment of Nicky, trying to placate Joan, liaisons with Arnold and the agencies? Playing to Shaun, helping him? The meeting with the architect and his positive affirmation of her? The awards night and her being abandoned in England?

10. The owner of the house, her husband, his being a barrister, his looking after the baby, her moodiness, her going into the house, cleaning up after the Canadians? Watching them, watching Rick and his movement? Imitating it? The decision to leave her husband, the criticism, the smashing of the car, her arrival? The possibility of making a new life in Canada?

11. The Canadians, in the house, their trashy behaviour, their performance and its artistic style, their interaction with each other, relationships? Rick, going into the owner’s basement, the clothes, trying them on, his appreciation of style, using them for the performance? Talking to the owner, the bond with her? Inviting her to the company? Her coming at the end, his kissing her?

12. Tommy and Con, the interview with Joan, the Irish humour, Tommy and his preoccupation about himself, nine times at the festival and not being nominated, his performance? The interaction with Joan, the sexual relationship, the initial hesitation and her frankness? His boasting about his behaviour to Con? Phoning his wife? The mixed motives, liking Joan, wanting her to influence the jury? The second encounter, her disgust with him after supporting him? His phone calls, the discussions with Con, moaning and weeping? The information that he had won, the awards and Nicky’s speech, his own ill-mannered speech? Ringing his wife?

13. Joan, hard, the interviews, the antagonism towards Shaun, the discussions with Tom, the sexual encounter, her work on the jury, her vote, at home with Doug? The second encounter and her disgust with Tommy and his selfishness? Her comparing the awards?

14. Con, the puppets, losing them in Ryan Air, trying to buy other puppets, listening to Tommy, supporting him, the sexual encounter in the bar?

15. Nicky, her act, the come-on to Shaun, her giddiness yet her seriousness, the clashes with Petra, sex with Shaun, pushing, clashing, her performance and the agent liking her? At the awards, her speech and her anger?

16. Arnold, the smooth agent, the American, everything geared towards the Americans? His clash with Petra?

17. The overall impact of the film: comedy, bitterness, backstage at the arts festival, the personalities of artists, clashes and crises?