Starring Alice Lowe, Steve Oram, Eileen Davies, Jonathan Aris, Richard Glover, and Monica Dolan
Written by Alice Lowe, and Steve Oram
Directed by Ben Wheatley
Last year Ben Wheatley planted himself firmly on my radar with Kill List, his incredible second feature that left the crowd at TIFF absolutely stunned. One year later and Mr. Wheatley finds himself deservedly back at TIFF with his third feature, Sightseers. His latest film is of a decidedly different tone than Kill List. While Kill List takes the audience into a a very dark place that you can’t climb out of even if you tried, Sightseers is a comedic journey across the idyllic English countryside, although it wouldn’t be a Ben Wheatley movie if it wasn’t twisted in one way or another.
Tina (Lowe) and Chris (Oram) are a brand new couple in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. They rarely argue, have trouble keeping their hands off each other, and have decided to go on a roadtrip to take in pastoral England. Complete with a trailer for sleeping in, the couple pack their bags, leaving Tina’s overprotective mother at home. The trip starts out as expected, but it isn’t long before rude tourists start to bother Chris. Fortunately, Chris has a very specific way of dealing with people who grate on his nerves, but will Tina embrace his unconventional methods or will she run away screaming?
With two days left of the festival, Sightseers is hands down the best movie I have seen at TIFF 2012. The wonderful script was written by the two leads, Lowe and Oram. The storyline and the central characters are hilarious and emotionally endearing at the same time, which is truly remarkable considering the dark subject matter that is usually in the foreground of the story. During the Q & A Lowe explained that her and Oram had been pitching Sightseers as a television series and it was only after working with the material for five or so years that we finally have a feature film to enjoy. I’ve seen many movies, particularly independent features, that have been written in a matter of months, weeks, and sometimes even days. Sightseers is a testament to the advantage of having ample time to know the characters and the story inside and out, as Lowe and Oram clearly did. The characters feel incredibly real, while it is hard to imagine that the comedic beats could have had better timing.
Behind the camera Wheatley continues his rapid climb to the top of my ‘favourite directors’ list. He has such an expert understanding of the dark and macabre, while also demonstrating an amazing understanding of the comedy that can be found in the most unlikely places. Also, I don’t know of any other directors who are so easily able to steer away from cliche, turning the expectations of audiences on their heads. Having also seen his short that was a part of The ABCs of Death, I am at the point where I would watch a 90-minute weather report, so long as Wheatley was behind the camera.
Sightseers is dark, hilarious, and absolutely absorbing for the entire run-time. Wheatley has hit another one out of the park in what I consider to be one of the best movies I have seen all year.
Entertainment Maven 