Queen and Country
Director: John Boorman
Talent: Callum Turner, Caleb Landry Jones, Pat Shortt, David Thewlis
Release Date: 12th June 2015
The belated sequel to Hope and Glory (1987) picks up nine years later, as Boorman stand-in Bill Rohan (a rather lifeless Callum Turner) turns 18 and is conscripted during the Korean War. At basic training, Bill befriends the mischievous Percy (Landry Jones, overacting in every scene), and becomes infatuated with a woman so mysterious she won’t even tell him her name. Unfortunately, their relationship never gets close to a spark, and the rest of the film is devoted to Bill and Percy’s pranks on their stuffy commanding officer. Queen and Country often feels like killing time, as Boorman attempts to capture both the broadly comic and deeply serious aspects of military service, but remains tonally confused throughout. The film can’t decide whether it’s a Carry On-esque comedy, a romantic melodrama, or a wartime adventure, but ultimately, it is not one Boorman will be remembered for.
Words: Meadhbh McGrath
