The Flag
Director: Declan Recks
Talent: Pat Shortt, Moe Dunford, Simone Kirby, Ruth Bradley
Release date: 14th October
I was not expecting to enjoy The Flag. The water cooler talk around the film was not glowing. The premise is mad-cap and uncomplicated, as farces go. Pat Shortt’s Harry is a hard-drinking builder who, when confronted by a local bully, plots to steal a piece of history back from the English army and bring honour to his family name. There’s something infectious about Pat Shortt’s laughter in this film: whether it’s a character trait or sanctioned corpsing, Harry laughs a lot at his own jokes, and the audience laughs along. I was charmed by this straightforward farce of a picture.
You can see its twists and turns coming a mile off and there are few surprises, but the film is funny and warm. A gentle sort of picture, it goes through the motions but consistently kept me laughing and, like its plucky hero, The Flag wins out in the face of adversity and ends up a thoroughly enjoyable, feel good comedy.
Words: Luke Maxwell
