Cheeky (2003)

Simply Perfect

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

David Thewlis' Cheeky is all heart, an extremely touching, human story of a quiet man reeling from the loss of his loving wife and desperate to connect emotionally with their grieving son.The wounded, gentle Harry may come as a surprise to moviegoers remembering Thewlis' searingly aggressive performance in Mike Leigh's Naked, but in the end it simply illustrates the versatility and range of this brainy actor/writer who always seems to be the best thing in every project he tackles.That said, it's important to point out that the movie also manages to be flat-out funny. The humor is often subversive, though, much of it hidden in visual business in the background of otherwise serious scenes or throwaway dialog from supporting characters. Thewlis' sense of humor is whimsical, dark and harbors a solid appreciation for the absurd (A Cheeky quiz show question: Homosexual penguins: True or False?).The supporting cast is delightful, especially Ian Hart as Harry's doltish brother-in-law and Lesley Sharp, who has done such impressive work previously opposite Thewlis in Naked and the television miniseries Dandelion Dead.The DVD is a European PAL release, but is not region-coded and can be played on DVD players in the U.S. Track it down--it's worthwhile viewing.

I'm a big David Thewlis fan, so I was thrilled to obtain a copy of a film written by, directed by, and starring him. However, in spite of my expectations, I found it to be a bit of a mess. At the core, it has potential; the story of a father and son, each of whom blame the other for the death of his wife/mother, is quite compelling. Setting all of this in the context of a frenetic game show with an obnoxious host only makes the plot more intriguing. However, throughout the film there are significant distractions (e.g. a potential love interest for the main character, a small town full of quirky denizens), and the film seems to lose its focus. Also, although the set-up lends itself to a mixture of comedy and drama, I never felt like the two fit seamlessly together, rather the film seems to leap back and forth from one to the other.I'd recommend Cheeky to fans of Thewlis, as there are a number of moments in which he displays his brilliance as an actor (and without question it's better than other films he's been in such as Timeline, The Island of Dr. Moreau, or Basic Instinct 2).