Simon Farnaby

Film Review: Mindhorn

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A murder takes place on the Isle of Man, a place where serious crime is not a frequent occurrence. But what is most surprising is that MI5 Special Operative Bruce Mindhorn is called in to help. The catch? Mindhorn is a detective from a 1980s British TV show. Richard Thorncroft (Julian Barratt) used to play Mindhorn way back in his heyday. The world has since forgotten him, except maybe one vulnerable individual, played by Russell Tovey, going by the name of the Kestrel.

The plot is ridiculous, and so are the film’s protagonists. Barratt is expressive and physical in his portrayal of Thorncroft. A man with an apparently blasé approach to danger, he blurs the line between superhero and average Joe. Richard Thorncroft is a man who used to be something but no longer is, and it’s this foolishness and ludicrous self-denial that makes his character so appealing. There is a vulnerability to him that endears us. He is simultaneously self-conscious and unashamed.

Simon Farnaby, as well as co-writing the film with Barratt, plays Thorncroft’s Dutch ex-stunt double and rival. Now in a relationship with Thorncroft’s ex-wife, it is understandable that these two don’t get on. Barratt and Farnaby feed off each other’s energy; they have always worked well together on screen.

And the addition of Tovey is a wise decision. The childlike innocence of this Mindhorn-enthusiast combined with that trademark cheeky glint in Tovey’s eye makes for some brilliant moments of contrast between himself and our protagonist. He is the only character, it seems, who takes Thorncroft/Mindhorn seriously. His ex, Patricia (Essie Davis) and former Mindhorn sidekick Peter Eastman (Steve Coogan), definitely do not appear to attribute much credibility to Thorncroft, and rightly so. The Isle of Man has moved on without him, but maybe it is finally time for Mindhorn to return to the public eye.

Mindhorn is an incredibly quotable film, and one that groups of people seem to enjoy talking about a great deal. And most importantly, it is devilishly funny. This film is packed full of idiosyncrasies and though we may feel as though we have seen enough films about celebrity has-beens in recent years (think Alpha Papa, Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie), Mindhorn is certainly not a slave to stereotype.

The Mighty Boosh Revisited: S1E7, Electro

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Episode: S1E7, Electro

Air Date: 29 June 2004

Summary: Bad memories are stirred up for Howard when Vince is asked to join a band called Kraftwork Orange. Vince upsets one of the members of his new band, Johnny Two-Hats, who storms off when Vince criticises his fashion sense and this means the band are one person down for their important show that night. Vince asks the only person he can, Howard, but jazz-loving Howard Moon cannot play any instrument any more as a result of a meeting with the Spirit of Jazz many years ago. He was tricked into signing his soul away ‘in blood?’ no, ‘biro’s fine’. The concert has to go ahead with the Spirit of Jazz on the loose inside a vacuum cleaner and this causes chaos.

What Else? The conversation between a young Howard Moon and the Spirit of Jazz is obviously an iconic part of this episode, with the brilliant snippet of: “Yorkshire? What is Yorkshire?” “Yorkshire is a place. Yorkshire is a state of mind”. We get to see the Spirit of Jazz’s hat go up in flames, because apparently it wasn’t part of his “look”, but also a mini crisis when Vince gets angry about the Zoo and there is a lot of out-of-place bleeped out swearing as well as: “Vince, I thought you said you wanted to help the animals?” “I do, I want to help them all to die”.

Quote of the Episode:

Vince [to Howard]: “Science teachers and the mentally ill, that’s what Jazz is for.”

Familiar Faces: Sue Denim and Dee Plume (Robots in Disguise) play the parts of the girls in the band Kraftwork Orange. Fielding has the role of the Spirit of Jazz and Simon Farnaby pops up as NOT the manager of PieFace Records. Johnny Two-Hats is played by Dan Clark.

THE REVISITED SERIES

The Mighty Boosh Revisited: S1E6, Charlie

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Episode: S1E6, Charlie

Air Date: 22 June 2004

Summary: Howard decides he is going to become a writer in order to impress Mrs Gideon and the famous Hamilton Cork but is horrified to learn that Vince is already doing just that. Vince explains the basis of his Charlie books which receives dismissal from Howard: “That’s not a novel, that’s the scribblings of a retard”. Meanwhile, Bob Fossil has noticed a brilliant new way to make money from the Zoo: he is going to breed the ‘black-eyed Chinese people that eat sticks’ as this will attract visitors. Vince is bullied into dressing up as a panda and flirting with the female panda to get the male jealous. That evening, Dixon Bainbridge organises a writer’s party and Vince is invited but not Howard. Chaos quickly arises as Charlie decides to pay a personal visit to the gathering…

What Else? This episode made me learn that I want to be everything that Vince is; he’s the happiest kid at the Zoo. Naboo introduces the photograph of the kitten, Phillip, who helps calm Howard down in times of frustration and Vince shows off his poncho that makes him happy no matter what. The infamous “you know the black bits in bananas, are they tarantulas’ eggs?” scene is in this episode as well as the ‘Swear on Jagger’ joke. The brilliant Charlie song is played towards the end where the giant Hubba Bubba nightmare causes a scene. This episode is artistically very inspiring with heavy use of animation and great attention to detail (Dave Brown can be thanked for a lot of that, I expect).

Quote of the Episode:

Howard [to Vince]: “You’re always happy aren’t you. Everything’s fun. You see a peanut, the day’s off to a good start. You witness some soil, it’s a jamboree for Vince Noir. I need something more.”

Familiar Faces: Simon Farnaby as Simon McFarnaby (before the show) and Hamilton Cork (McFarnaby’s character in the show).

THE REVISITED SERIES