FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS MOVIE REVIEW

“What do you do with a drunken sailor?” According to “Fisherman’s Friends”, you offer him and his drinking buddies a record deal. This fish out of water rom-com was a big hit in UK theaters last year and is now getting a VOD release on our side of the pond. Although the film claims to be “based on a true story” you should take that claim with a grain of salt. Ok, a LOT of salt. Besides, no fish tale ever let facts get in the way of a good yarn. After their bachelor party plans go awry, a group of music executives finds themselves stuck in a Cornish fishing village where they encounter a group of fishermen who perform traditional sea shanties. The music execs laugh at the locals but their boss Troy (Noel Clarke) is surprisingly moved by the authenticity of the music. He orders Danny (Daniel Mays) to sign the fishermen to a management deal and to not take no for an answer. Unbeknownst to Danny, this is all a cruel prank as Troy has no intention of signing “the world’s oldest boy band”. Danny’s co-workers laugh all the way back to London, while he stays behind to negotiate a deal with the band. To do that, Danny must ingratiate himself with the fishermen and convince their skeptical leader Jim (James Purefoy) that he has their best interests at heart.

Can Danny get the band to record an album, play some gigs, give Troy his comeuppance, win the heart of Jim’s daughter Alwyn (Tuppence Middleton), AND save the local pub from foreclosure? Of course, he can because this is a movie with no surprises. Words like “predictable” and “formulaic” get thrown around a lot in our review, but so do words like “sweet” and “charming”. Is this feel-good comedy a fresh catch or should you throw it back? Listen to our crew of salty dogs Rae, Trevor, Hunter, and Marco weigh-in while trying to squeeze in as many fish-related puns as they can.

OFFICIAL WEBSITE/TRAILER

DIRECTED BY: Chris Foggin

STARRING: Daniel Mays, James Purefoy, David Hayman, Dave Johns, Sam Swainsbury, Tuppence Middleton, Noel Clarke, Christian Brassington, Maggie Steed, Vahid Gold, Jo Hart, Julian Seager, Christopher Villiers, Meadow Nobrega, Jade Anouka, Ashley Bannerman

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