Film Reviews by AM

What would you rather watch? A film that sets its ambitions low (follow a formula, obeys the convention and ticks the demographic boxes) and delivers on this, or a film that aims high (to plough a new furrow, to become this year's cult hit) but ultimately falls short?

A Field in England falls firmly in to the second category. It wants to be Withnail and I, Eraserhead, or even the Blair Witch Project, but ultimately, reminded me far too much of those three films to be a true original. That is its central failing - it doesn't manage to be as good as it wants. But it looks wonderful, holds the attention throughout. Where it fails is possibly due to the acting - to often the humour feels hammed up. This is the style of humour that Withnail sent up (a film I love), and gives the film a derivative feel.

So if your answer to my original question was 'the latter', then watch this film with low expectations for a pleasant surprise.