THE PAROLE OFFICER
UK, 2001, 93 minutes, Colour.
Steve Coogan, Lena Headey, Stephen Dillane, Om Puri, Steven Waddington, Ben Miller, Emma Williams, Jenny Agutter, Omar Sharif.
Directed by John Duigan.
Steve Coogan is from Manchester and studied acting there at the Polytechnic. The Parole Officer is often very funny (but a warning that some of the jokes are a bit earthy, off-colour or however one describes sex jokes in the British context)
Coogan is a whizz at impersonations (he was one of the Spitting Image voices). He also creates characters, like Alan Partridge, and, once inside the character, he is transformed and can act and talk as if born that way.
In The Parole Officer, he is a kindly but naive officer with penchant for saying the awkward or wrong thing and putting people off. So, being led to expect a comedy about a ditherer, I found the film turned into a mixture of The Lavender Hill Mob and a modern US action show (though Steve Coogan smashing into rather than through bank windows is not exactly your Bruce Willis even if the end results of good overcoming evil are the same).
Coogan can be very funny with his remarks, with his slapstick pratfalls and the consequences of his gawky character. He has surrounded himself with a great supporting cast, especially the other members of his gang, Om Puri (showing an unanticipated sense of comedy), Steve Waddington and Ben Miller, Emma Williams. Stephen Dillane is a nasty crooked cop while Lena Headey is an attractive detective. And in the
middle of this Omar Shariff materialises as a Houdini-like ex- criminal. Jenny Agutter is his wife.
Coogan co-wrote the screenplay with Harry Werner and they have worked in a good plot as well as a character-driven comedy, jokes and plenty of Manchester landmarks and atmosphere. It has been directed by Australian John Duigan who is much better known for his serious films, including Romero, the film of the
martyred bishop of San Salvador.
This is not the great British comedy but, for those who enjoy their comedy with broad strokes and a touch of the vulgar, this is entertaining.
1.British comedy? The tradition of the Ealing Studios and other British low-key comedies? Brought into the 21st century? Characters, situations, visual comedy, verbal comedy with the more earhy touch?
2.Steve Coogan and his screen and television personas? His writing, acting? The variations of events and characters, awkward, naïve?
3.The use of Manchester, the buildings, the streets? Manchester as a character? Homes, police precincts, clubs, offices, streets? Authentic? The musical score?
4.Coogan’s portrait of Simon Garden: the title, the introduction, his awkwardness, waiting, his indiscreet remarks to the secretary, his falling off the chair, going before the board, answering the complaints, his clients giving testimony, also critical of him? His good-natured advice about going straight, half way up the mountain and not giving up? His decision to move to Manchester? His friendship with the police? With Emma?
5.Going to the club, the strip joint, the drugs? Background to Kirsty and her speeding, her crash? Inspector Burton at the crash, at the club? The drug deals, corruption, his persistence? His strangling the man? Simon and his eating the crisps, his physical condition, witnessing the murder, being caught, diverting their attention, running away? His being arrested, Burton framing him for the murder, threats, especially about life in prison?
6.Burton and his corruption, his allies, his using Kirsty and getting the drugs? At the club, the deals, the dealers wanting to oust him? The killer? His threats? His being given the medal? His interviews, the discussions with Emma? Going to Simon’s house, the search, the head in the refrigerator, later in the pot? His arresting the group? The ceremony, the confrontation and the showdown, his taking the hostage, his arrest?
7.The various thugs, at the club, the corrupt police?
8.Simon and Emma, the friendship, going out, at home, meeting all his friends, her suspicions? Her turning against him – and participating in the police search of his flat? Her seeing the truth, delaying the police, helping him escape, especially when he was in the chandelier?
9.Simon and his clients, in themselves? George and his being a serial bigamist? Jeff and his being slow on the uptake? Colin and his being able to work in electronics? Simon going to them, trying to recruit them, their wariness? At his house, the details of the plans? Their particular contributions?
10.The visit to find Victor, meeting Victor’s wife, the tours and their taking them? Victor suddenly arriving during the break-in, his help, his disguises, going with the money and his wife?
11.The time in prison, the desperate need to get the video from the bank vault? Kirsty and her getting out, taking the vehicle, crashing into the wall? The protesters and their bikes outside the bank? Across the roof, using the toy vehicles, getting caught on the statue, the balloon rectifying the situation? The alarms going off all over the city? Their getting in, getting out – and Colin and his fear of leaping? Simon and his being trapped, the chandelier, his finally getting out, their all riding away on bicycles?
12.The team, Victor’s help, discussions about keeping the money? Emma and her bright idea – pretending to be a hostage, Simon and his taking her in to the ceremony, his awkward remarks and her having to correct him? The confrontation with Burton, his getting the gun, Emma having taken out the bullets? His confession, arrest?
13.A satisfactory happy ending?
