Cemetery Junction – A Sony Pictures’ Release

http://www.cemeteryjunction.co.uk/

DVD Release Date: August 17th, 2010

Rated 14A for coarse language, and crude content.

Running time: 95 minutes

Ricky Gervais (dir.)

Stephen Merchant (dir.)

Ricky Gervais (writer)

Stephen Merchant (writer)

Tim Atack (music)

Tom Hughes as Bruce Pearson

Ricky Gervais as Mr. Taylor

Christian Cooke as Freddie Taylor

Ralph Fiennes as Mr Kendrick

Matthew Goode as Mike Ramsay

Jack Doolan as Snork

Our reviews below:

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Cemetery Junction DVD Review By John C.

***1/2 (out of 4)

Three young adult friends in 1973 are dealing with work and family related problems while living in the small England town of Cemetery Junction.  Freddie (Christian Cooke) has gotten a job selling life insurance to avoid having to work at the factory with his father (Ricky Gervais), and between hanging out with his buddies, Bruce (Tom Hughes) and Snork (Jack Doolan), he is developing feelings for his boss’ daughter, Julie (Felicity Jones).

From writer/directors Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, there is much humour in the brilliant script, with every line of dialogue being believable and ringing completely true to both the time and place.  The feel of the 1970’s is captured through costumes and music, and the tone of the film is a perfect blend of comedy and emotionally affecting drama.  Hilarious and heartfelt, Cemetery Junction knows as much about life as it does about making us laugh.  Brilliantly written and very touching, this is a small gem that’s worth seeking out.

The Blu-ray includes several featurettes on the making-of the film, deleted scenes, a blooper reel, and audio commentaries with the directors and cast.

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Cemetery Junction DVD Review By Erin V.

***1/2 (out of 4)

A quiet coming of age story set in ’70’s working-class England, Cemetery Junction is about a young man named Freddie (Christian Cooke) who wants to do something more than just work in the factories like everyone around him.  So, he gets a job selling life insurance.  This causes him to be is drawn between hanging out with his old buddies Bruce and ‘Snork,’ and committing to the business world.  Then, he starts to fall in love – with the boss’ daughter.

It’s a sweet story, that really captures the restlessness of its main characters, wanting to do something interesting in the world, and ‘break free’.  All of it’s characters are well-rounded and have their own stories.  I was – admittedly – surprised by this one partially because I’d never really heard much about it prior to watching it.  I’m really glad to have checked it out, and would recommend it.

There are interesting featurettes on the disc as well, such as one about the set and costume design of the film.

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Cemetery Junction DVD Review By Nicole

***1/2 (out of 4)

Cemetery Junction is a low key coming of age dramady.  Taking place in 1973 England, this film follows three young friends as they begin their journey into adulthood.  The buddies, Freddie, Bruce, and “Snork,” like to goof around, which keeps getting them in trouble.  The main character, Freddie, wishes to act more mature, so he gets a job selling life insurance.  He soon finds himself falling for his boss’ daughter, a pretty girl named Julie.  Trouble is, she is engaged to an older man who acts as if she is invisible.  Can Freddie convince her that she would be better off with him?

Cemetery Junction is a believable, well acted and tightly scripted film with well rounded characters.  We see the family struggles that Bruce and Freddie are going through, making the viewer feel sympathy for them.  Snork provides some comedic moments with his quirky and nerdy interaction.  In the end, we get a sense of real growth in each of the characters.

There is a lot of raunchy dialogue (including some rude words that aren’t heard in North America), as well as some racist comments that are merely a reflection of the time period.  However, Cemetery Junction does not delve into sexual scenes or violence to tell the story.  The film has a great soundtrack, and has the look and feel of the 1970’s.  With likable characters, and an interesting story, Cemetery Junction is worth owning.

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Cemetery Junction DVD Review By Maureen

***1/2 (out of 4)

Set in 1973 in a blue-collar British town called Cemetery Junction this charming and witty film tells the story of three friends in their early twenties who are all at a turning point in their lives.

Freddie (Christian Cooke) no longer content to work in the factory with his Dad (Ricky Gervais), and his buddies Bruce (Tom Hughes) and Snork (Jack Doolan) takes a position as a life insurance salesman.  As Freddie focuses on his career and spends more time with his new boss Mr. Kendrick (Ralph Fiennes) and his co-worker Mike (Matthew Goode) he sees the contrast in his life and that of his family and buddies.  Things change further when he spends time with the boss’ daughter Julie (Felicity Jones).

The strength of Cemetery Junction is the brilliant, low-key and witty dialogue between each of the characters.  The delivery of the dialogue by each of the talented actors is a perfect balance of light comedy and touching drama.  Each of the characters are wonderfully believable and so perfectly ordinary.  The scenes at Freddie’s house with his father (Ricky Gervais) and his grandmother are especially delightful to watch.  Freddie’s buddies, Bruce and Snork are also developed nicely in the storyline and the conclusion for each of them is sweet and believable.

Ricky Gervais fans will want to see this well-written, well-acted, heartwarming movie.  Cememtery Junction is a nice change of pace from a lot of the North American romantic comedies or dramadies on the market.  This is British humour done well.

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Cemetery Junction DVD Review By Tony

*** (out of 4)

Even before any image appears, we hear a needle drop on a vinyl record playing Vaughan Williams as the camera moves in and around the working class suburb of Cemetery Junction, ending up in the bedroom of Freddie Taylor (Christian Cooke) where the music is playing on his portable record player.  It is 1973. In his early twenties and hoping to rise above his class, Freddie is dressing up for a job interview as a life insurance salesman.  His two mates, Bruce (Tom Hughes) and “Snork” (Jack Doolan) come to take him out, dismissing his new taste in classical music written and played by “poofs” unlike good music by Elton John.  Freddie has just quit the machine shop where his father (Ricky Gervais) and Bruce still work. Snork works at the train station.  All three lads have a reputation for pranks and brawling that Freddie is trying to shake.  Bruce has anger issues, resentful that his father (Francis Magee), now on disability, didn’t fight for his wife when she left him. Snork is chubby and not too bright, with a knack for putting people off with inappropriate humour. The regional insurance executive, Mr. Kendrick (Ralph Fiennes) is a nouveau riche snob who would rather forget his own modest beginnings in the Junction.  Freddie is mentored by Mike Ramsey (Matthew Goode), on a fast track for promotion due to successful hard sell techniques and engagement to the boss’s daughter Julie (Felicity Jones), who had been in Freddie’s elementary school class before moving away to boarding school.  Freddie is soon disillusioned by corporate ambition, seeing Mrs. Kendrick treated as a doormat and trying to convince Julie to avoid the same fate, which leads to an exhilarating if uncertain conclusion.

Written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, Cemetery Junction is a loving evocation of its period, rather than the usual campy 70s Show sendup. Careful attention to sets, colour palettes, wardrobe and musical score support the very funny and touching script delivered by a strong cast. Aside from the principals there are a lot of well-drawn characters.  There is very funny banter between Freddie’s Dad, Mum (Julia Davis) and Gran (Anne Reid) reflecting the prejudices of the time in the wake of the oil crisis and influx of non-European immigrants. The randy coffee shop proprietor, his sweet, simple-minded waitress who fancies Snork, the big cop who has the lads’ backs, and the retiring couple are also memorable. Though the language may at times be a bit difficult for American audiences, this charming film deserves much better exposure than it has gotten.

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Consensus: Both heartfelt and hilarious, Cemtery Junction is a small British gem.  Perfectly capturing the tone of the early 1970’s, this coming of age dramady is one worth seeking out. ***1/2 (Out of 4)