Acts of Godfrey

January 26th, 2012

I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking, “I do not believe there are enough British films written as rhyming couplets today”. If that is indeed what you’re thinking then you might enjoy Acts of Godfrey. On the other hand there is a very strong chance you will hate it with every semblance of your being.

Why are more films not made in the rhyming couplet style? Reasons abound: the format is contrived; it gets in the way of plot and precludes the development of three-dimensional characters. But really it just comes down to one thing: rhyming couplets are awful. Awful awful awful. Awful on toast with a side order of double awful and extra toast for mopping. Maybe not so awful when Chaucer did it in the 14^th century or when Roger McGough translated Molière for the stage. But certainly awful on film and most certainly in this instance.

Luckless Vic arrives for a motivational course in a country house watched over by God, played by Simon Callow. The gathering includes two brutish medical reps, a sexy estate agent and a geriatric conman played listlessly by Harry Enfield. All are manipulated into position by the omnipresent ‘God’ who hovers in the background, a spectre at the feast.

I’m loathe to expend much more energy outlining the rest of the plot save to tell you this is a black comedy and heaven knows why actors of the quality of Celia Imrie, Callow, Enfield and Doon Mackichan got involved. Perhaps the first-time writer/director Johnny Daukes is a fantastic salesman himself. Maybe they felt sorry for him because his surname is pronounced ‘dorks’. Either way the sense of unreality imparted by the rhymes left me feeling alienated and sleepy to the point of unconsciousness

I would be more forgiving if the couplets were top notch but they weren’t. The pleasure to be gained from a satisfying scan was often missed (purposefully?) by the actors – and extra words were inserted (purposefully?) to spoil the lilt.

You might have guessed I have little positive to say about this film so perhaps it’s best I stop. But before I do so, this:

‘Acts of Godfrey’ is rotten and weak, I’m sorry to have to reveal.
If given the option to watch this again, I’d rather go out with an eel.’

Words > Saul Wordsworth

Tags: Acts of Godfrey, Harry Enfield, Simon Callow