The Cricklewood Greats (2012)

So, Soft Top Hard Shoulder = writing + acting.  Strictly Sinatra and Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life = writing + directing.  Getting On = directing + acting.  But to date, The Cricklewood Greats is the only PC triple-duty project:  writing, directing, and acting.  And it’s awesome.

 

The Cricklewood Greats is a fake TV special about a fake studio from the annals of British cinematic history, with PC playing host Peter Capaldi.  Let’s start with the writing, which was a joint effort with The Thick of It writer Tony Roache.  From start to finish, the tale of the Cricklewood Studio is a smart parody of behind-the-camera style documentaries about the movie biz.  It’s peppered with great details about the terrible “classics” filmed at Cricklewood, from the silent comedies to the monster pictures to the sexploitation flicks, and about the stars who worked there over its long history.  

 

The directing is also sharp and funny.  PC has a great eye for detail, and I’m sure more than one BBC viewer who tuned in late didn’t realize at first they were watching a parody.  The short clips of the films themselves, from a variety of eras and genres, are a stitch, and there’s a great, convincing mix of footage, photos, and stock shots to accompany the narration.

 

And of course, we have the acting.  I imagine that playing a satiric version of yourself, especially when you’re also directing yourself and you wrote all your dialogue, requires a careful touch, and PC excellently straddles the line between straight and silly.  His best scenes show his personal journey to connect with the ghosts of Cricklewood.  He fanboys fantastically over mementos collected by fellow Cricklewood enthusiasts (from the Little Drunk’s eyebrow to the arm of the infamous Worm Man,) and his visit to the actual site of the studio itself (now a home improvement store) is hysterically reverent.

 

Tony Roache and PC aren’t the only Thick of It associates appearing in this special.  Alex MacQueen, who played Julius Nicholson, is excellent as a fawning collector.

 

Accent Watch

 

Well, since he’s playing himself, it’s possibly just a little bit Scottish.

 

Recommend?

 

In General – Absolutely.  I love stuff about the history of film, I like well-done satire, and I always enjoy the kooky ideas coming out of PC’s brain.

 

PC-wise – Definitely.  PC is delivering great work in three different disciplines, and the whole thing comes together nicely on all levels.

 

Warnings

 

Some sexual references and innuendo.