Strictly Sinatra
(2000)
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Peter Capaldi, the writer and director of the vaguely amusing and almost engaging Strictly Sinatra, seems to have had two recent strains of British film-making on his mind: the Guy Ritchie school of modern mob capers and the post-modern urban Scottish noir of Shallow Grave and Trainspotting. Indeed Kelly MacDonald, who starred in the latter, appears in Strictly Sinatra as a similar rough-around-the-edges love interest. The film revolves around what happens when hapless Glasgow lounge-singer Tony Cocozza (played by the always capable Ian Hart) crosses paths with the local Mafiosi. Their initial mutual attraction is derived from the ability of the parties to support each other's delusions: Cocozza wishes he was Sinatra, they wish they were Sinatra's dubious cronies. But Cocozza swiftly realises that he has, as the song goes, bitten off more than he can chew, and proceeds, predictably enough, from doubt to epiphany to redemption to happy ending.--Andrew Mueller |
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You can hear the pitch: “Here's a brilliant twist on a tired old gangster scenario! Take a loser Sinatra obsessive. Give him some acclaim after singing for the local mob boss who says he'll make it big. Have him then sell out on life and love. Set the tale in Glasgow. Fabulous.” Only this isn't. Despite the efforts of actor/director Peter Capaldi in his feature debut and a strong cast (Brian Cox, Alun Armstrong and the two leads Ian Hart and Kelly Macdonald), this takes us on yet another trip to turgid Lock, Stock territory. Hart as the pseudo Sinatra is exactly what he's supposed to be: sad, clad in shiny suits and sporting a dreadful perm. Yet there's something inherently depressing about him as the film's focus. He sells out his pianist mentor Armstrong and girlfriend Macdonald all too easily. And for a world that is so obviously full of hollow promises. Ironically the only great thing here is the Sinatra soundtrack. With the remainder, you just don't buy it.