★★☆☆☆
A GREAT cast alone does not a good film make as this all-too-gentle and rather pointless retread of Alexander Mackendrick’s 1949 Ealing classic showcases.
This long-gestating project — stopping and starting for the best part of 10 years - had the potential to put a fresh spin on the story of a group of Scottish highlanders during World War II “liberating” a wayward ship full of thousands of crates of whisky in an apparent answer to their lack of that beloved alcohol.
Cue old-school shenanigans of the group frantically running around trying to hide the newfound whisky stash from the authorities, namely Eddie Izzard’s officious Army Captain Wagget.
This good-natured, cinematic tipping of the bonnet to the original from director Gillies MacKinnon does raise a warm-hearted smirk or two. But it disappointingly rests far too often on the laurels of the original – anyone who hasn’t seen it will be left quite miffed – brushing aside any potential for innovation in favour of coasting on wistful nostalgia and, indeed, on a shortbread tin image of Scotland that’s recognisable only to tourists.
It sports a wonderful cast of British legends and likeable rising stars alike, from Gregor Fisher as patriarch and island postmaster Macroon and James Cosmo’s Minister Macalister to Kevin Guthrie as timid schoolmaster George and Sean Biggerstaff as love-struck soldier Sergeant Odd.
But they’re wasted on caricatures rather than fully rounded characters and a script that just isn’t funny enough to sustain the small-scale caper plot that begins, exists and ends without much consequence or memorability.
The twinkle-in-the-eye, spirited and endearing snapshot in time quality of the 1949 version is simply missing here as this well-meaning but hopelessly flat remake fails to find much purpose for existing almost 70 years on from the film it so desperately tries to re-enact.
Whisky Galore is in Scottish cinemas now and will open UK wide on May 19.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here