No. 92. (2019) Fisherman's Friends. October 16th.

Film No. 92 (2019) October 17th.  6:40 PM  PALACE CINEMAS  Northbridge. 

"The bottom line is, you've got a unique sound and we believe we can help you get it released by a major label" (Danny puts it to the shanty singers that they may have a future in getting their sound to a world wide audience. They react with raucous laughter).

All froth and bubble, that's Fisherman's Friends but it  uses the perfect bait to reel in the audience it aims to please. A dreary Sunday afternoon in the cinema with this inspirational singing troupe will be as perfectly inoffensive a use of 90 minutes as could be spent. 

Based on the true story of a group of 10 Cornish fisherman from the quaint coastal village of Port Isaac receiving an offer of a $1 million contract in 2009 for a one off album, it's a story worth telling. But most of the film's content is "guff". The fluff comes in the form of an unlikely love story, coughing up a fictional London music promoter Danny (Daniel Mays) who on a bucks trip to Port Isaac is dared by his toffy mates, for no particular reason, to sign the shanty singing fishermen to a record deal. In Local Hero fashion Danny becomes addicted to the seaside village life and falls for the daughter of one of the shanty singers, Tamsyn (Meadow Nebrega). The love story overrides the narrative. The script is crap, the set up is naff and the actual shanty singing is less than breathtaking. It just "nails" the crowd pleaser effect. Sometimes magic happens!

Don't read the real story of the shanty singers before sitting in the cinema with this version. Read it afterwards. Given the events which really occurred post the signing of their contract and the touring they did; it occured to me that is where the real film lies. A story of human spirit, endurance and determination. 8GUMS.