Billy Connolly leads a wonderful cast in a family comedy that steadfastly avoids the treacle.
Review by Andy Lea, The Guardian
Posted Aug 6, 2015
Kidding around with Grandpa: Billy Connolly is no match for his tiny co-stars [Lionsgate]
Once again, writer/directors Andy Hamilton and Guy Jenkin manage to coax huge laughs out of a group of tiny ad-libbers.
Four-year-old Harriet Turnbull is the youngest and most surreal scene-stealer. Bobby Smallbridge uses honesty to devastating effect as the Vikings-obsessed middle child, while 11-year-old Emilia Jones puts in a touching performance as their sensible big sister.
At times, David Tennant and Rosamund Pike, who play their bickering parents, just leave them to it.
The plot involves a road trip to the Scottish Highlands to celebrate what their terminally ill grandad (a great Billy Connolly) suspects will be his last birthday.
He lives with their irritating Uncle Gavin (Ben Miller) and his long-suffering wife Margaret, played by the always excellent Amelia Bullmore.
Amidst the tense party preparations old rivalries surface while secrets bubble under the surface.
Then the directors do something rather surprising. An ingenious plot twist turns their brand of pleasant family comedy into something a bit darker and a lot more rewarding.
There’s a satirical take on the media, some poignant discussions of mortality and a touching drama about the pressures of family and marriage.
The comedy and the tragedy are deftly balanced but what impresses the most is the way Hamilton and Jenkin let everything unfold from the children’s perspective. As we drop down a couple of feet, it’s the adult world that needs to grow up.
Hilarious and touching, this is one of the best British comedies in years.
Watch: 'What We Did On Our Holiday' official trailer
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