Nessie

Must watch family British family film. A well crafted story line beautifully written. Looking forward to new releases from these talented writers.

I think these little treasures of a film are amazing to see Having stumbled upon this film in a Scottish cinema when the weather was not too good. To be entertained by great actors with a great story I hope this film gets a more general release that it deserves. I will definitely be keeping my eye open for when I can view the film again via streaming. I certainly look forward to further features by these talented script writers. If you get the chance to see this little gem you won't be disappointed.

To start with a general comment that the acting varied from very good to poor, with the female actresses being much better than the males, especially Tanya Fear and Edith Glad, with a special mention for Stephanie Beecham who played her small and isolated part to perfection.

The film started with rolling out every hackneyed cliche about the Scottish highlands that could be found, with stilted dialogue and run of the mill direction, saved only by the cinematography displaying the stunning scenery to full effect. I assume that this was for scene setting but it did little to establish character.

The film gained pace with the introduction of Stephanie Beecham as a hard nosed lawyer and it improved when Tanya Fear as Heather became a more important part of the story, although the (again) cliched relationship between her and Geordie was ridiculous and unbelievable with the apparent age difference and speed of development. Unfortunately the role of Alice was smaller than it needed to be to display the talents of Edith Glad fully, but she played the part with conviction and realism.

Of the male actors, John Michie as Jimmy stood head and shoulders above the rest who seemed to retreat into their stereotypical characters with zero nuance and some ridiculous set pieces which can only be put down to poor writing and direction (e.g. The sword scene).

The introduction of Don Johnson (Gary Grant) may have been an attempt at humour, but missed the mark and he seemed superfluous to the plot, so no criticism of his acting at all.

However, once the characters had something to do and the plot kicked in, the film improved vastly with a decent pace and some genuinely funny moments moving towards a quite fun, genuinely humorous and well directed denouement.

In summary, a poor opening that had me looking at my watch to see how much longer I had to endure, followed by a quite entertaining story with a reasonable conclusion.

In the vein of Waking Ned. A nicely filmed low budget UK film. Nice to see so many scenery shots and a mix of actors.

Compared to the Ted Danson horror show on a similar theme, this is a cut price, better story with good characters.

Is nice to have films like this being made compared to high budget, well paid actors with no soul. The story starts slowly and ticks along, gathering pace. I found myself looking up the filming locations whilst watching as certainly made me want to be there which says a lot re the lovely, scenic camera shots. Like many UK films is shot on a budget but made a nice job.

At the time of writing, I appear to be the only person in the whole world who has seen this in a cinema! That might be because, here in the UK, it seems to have just one Odeon, on the outskirts of Glasgow, giving it an outing. That's actually a bit of a shame, because though it's nothing especially groundbreaking, it is quite an amiable little drama. A town on the side of Loch Ness is gradually fading away thanks to the building of a bypass and to a dwindling interest in the legendary monster. All of that changes one day when "Jimmy" (John Michie) gets a letter informing him that an American industrialist has left the place $50m! Needless to say the Scotch flows well that night. Next day, he gets another saying that the son "Brad" (Patrick Kilpatrick) is having none of this, and so he has directed the services of his lawyer - Stephanie Beacham - to offer them less that 1% of that sum. She duly passes the buck to her Glaswegian operative "Heather" (Tanya Fear) who turns up, incognito, in their village and is soon under their spell. What ensues here is very reminiscent of "Local Hero" (1983). A gently comedic tale of locals who are not so dumb as they might look. It is a very Scottish story, with plenty of daft - and sarcastic - humour that offers us an engaging look at rural life with all it's characters! Yes, there are a few stereotypes here - but they are used to take a playful swipe at many things brash, garish (and gullible) in American culture and all things a bit twee in the Scots one. There's even room for a bit of romance before a denouement that is, well, let's say it has to put a smile on your face. No, it's probably not a film you will remember, and having watched it I see why it's got such a tiny cinema run, but it is worth a watch if you just want to be entertained by some charming and mischievous characterisations on screen amidst some stunning Highland scenery that is riddled with the dreaded midgies!

I saw Barbie the same week I saw Nessie. One came from a massive studio and had an eye-watering budget, the other was an Independent film with a very modest budget. I think it speaks volumes for the latter that I enjoyed both experiences.

Who doesn't know the legend of The Loch Ness Monster? It is one that has fascinated generations and is very topical at the moment not least because the largest research project in 50 years into the existence of the monster was announced on the very day of the film premiere.

The story could have been cliched, a little village we presume is in the vicinity of Loch Ness (although it wasn't filmed there), living in the shadow of a legend. It's a quiet place with people so accustomed to local folklore that they seem a little jaded by it all. It takes an outsider's legacy and the promise of a fantastic amount of money to raise the villagers from their apathy and a fight for what is rightfully theirs to reawaken their passion and community spirit.

It's a film that can be viewed on more than one level. It's a classic tale of the little guys fighting against a more powerful and richer 'bad' guy. That level is easily enjoyed and appeals to the whole family. Look beneath the surface though and much like the loch itself it has hidden depths. There is a little romance, a little tension. There's a modern twist with references to live-streaming add to the mix the comedic value of a rather eccentric special effects expert (Tim Churchill ) and the ingredients are all there.

It is an ensemble cast and a good mix of acting veterans and newer talents. All the cast give highly credible performances.

Patrick Kilpatrick is wonderfully cast as Brad, the rich American who arrives to contest his father's will. He is brash and spoilt and very corporate with a massive Nessie shaped chip on his shoulder. Caroline Guthrie is superbly funny as the unflappable widow Moira. Stephanie Beacham as Samantha controls matters from the safety and seclusion of her London office and sends her protege Heather (Tanya Fear) to trouble shoot the situation.

There's a whole village of interesting characters but the MacPherson family is at the heart of things.

Patriarch Jimmy (John Michie), his son Geordie (Jason Harvey) and granddaughter Alice (Edith Glad). All three actors give thoughtful portrayals of a close family that's endured a great deal and is in search of a little hope. John Michie's performance as a slightly bewildered widower concerned for his granddaughter is extremely moving.

Nessie is a gentle, watchable film. It will make you laugh, it will make you think. It's not an epic, but sometimes you just want a sandwich rather than a banquet.