Faintheart

An absolutely delightful, though classic, comedy that I can't really fault. The Brits know what they’re doing with casting, and once again, the lead is a guy who’s far from perfect—in fact, he’s riddled with quirks. He’s obsessed with history, role-plays as a Viking, and spends his time in the park with his buddies planning pranks and mock battles with a rival group. He also enjoys meeting fellow enthusiasts, and the setting suits the film perfectly. But, of course, he’s got a wife... and a kid. And his wife has had enough, even though she used to be just like him. Meanwhile, their son’s struggling at school. So, our hero has to step up and "be a man." Yes, sometimes we do that—to show everyone how it’s done. But the childlike spirit remains, because that’s who he is. And he probably won’t change. Faintheart follows a familiar comedic formula: we meet the characters, encounter a series of problems, and watch as they get resolved, one by one. It ends as you might expect, but I'll let you discover that for yourself :-) All in all, I was satisfied. Despite the predictable structure, the comedy had a spark of originality, and that’s something I really appreciate! (2011.06.26)