Charlotte Ritchie Archives

Film Review: Benny & Jolene

October 21, 2015 by Becca Moody Leave a Comment

Benny & Jolene (2014) is a film about folk-singing duo Ben (Craig Roberts) and Jo (Charlotte Ritchie) who are attempting to navigate their way through the confusing ins and outs of the music industry as well as finding their place within it.

This film is bursting with familiar comedy faces including the likes of Tom Rosenthal, Dolly Wells and Laura Patch. Rosamund Hanson stars in a role she is well-practiced in: that of a dopey PR girl (note her previous role as Cheryl in Life’s Too Short). Hanson is one of the stars of the show, being the source of the majority of laughs and serving as a real tension-releaser for when the situations the characters find themselves in become a little too exasperating, which is often. Roberts (Submarine) and Ritchie (Fresh Meat, Siblings) are excellent throughout and they just keep getting better; they’re sure to become household names within the next few years if they continue at this pace.

With beautiful lighting and a frequent cut and pasting of narrative, this piece of work is visually pleasing as well as being successful at holding pace. There are definite, and most likely deliberate, imperfections in the smoothness of camera shots which add to the personal feel of the production, making it feel more natural and endearing as a result. I found that many aspects of Benny & Jolene shared similarities with the television series Doll & Em, not least because Dolly Wells stars but also due to the intentional style of awkward-comedy that jars at first but gradually warms and softens.

Though this is probably rare, in the case of Benny & Jolene the plot of the film doesn’t feel as important as the general feel of the whole production. I will probably forget the story in time. Instead, however, this film is valuable as the warm, funny heart-warmer it undeniably is, with sharp writing from Jamie Adams. The competency of the cast shines through both in and around the dialogue, showing an applied understanding of tension and comedic relief. This is a production with true soul.

‘BENNY AND JOLENE’ IS AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE HERE

TV Review: Siblings

August 21, 2014 by Becca Moody 1 Comment

It’s always a great feeling to discover a new Sitcom on a popular television channel that surprises you with its innovation and originality. Siblings is one of those programmes for me.

This show follows the lives of sibling housemates Hannah (Charlotte Ritchie) and Dan (Tom Stourton) as they go about their days attempting to do as little work as possible and spend their time having a good time instead. Hannah has a regular office job where her manager is a ‘functioning alcoholic’ which means it is incredibly easy for her to escape responsibility on a daily basis, and generally spend less than five hours at work each day. Dan, on the other hand, spends all his time at home being bored out of his dim-witted brain. This results in him doing the most moronic things yet somehow avoiding the consequences (due to luck, rather than skill), a rather over-used concept but approached in an entirely new way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soMOeO_7Mdk

This is a Sitcom set in an entirely normal environment, yet what makes Siblings so insane is the characters within it. It’s a familiar habit of mine to allow my brain to tick over and get distracted while watching these kind of programmes but this one is an exception because of the wacky dialogue and actions of the brother and sister duo. As well as making many stupid decisions throughout, Hannah, in particular, is actually quite a horrible person (though I love her, but maybe that says a more about me than it says about anything else). For example, in order to make a good impression on her new boss in Episode One, Hannah makes it her duty to prove that the other office workers are not a patch on herself. Whilst in conversation with her new boss, Annette (Tracy Ann Oberman), and co-worker, Kevin, she suggests rather loudly:

“Kevin, what was that thing you were saying the other week about how gay people shouldn’t be allowed to live by the seaside?”

Siblings is a true breath of comedy-fresh-air and I look forward to watching the rest of the series over the coming weeks. You can catch up with the episodes so far on BBC iPlayer and watch Episode Three on BBC 3 at 10.30pm tonight.