Director: Stephen Frears
Starring: Gemma Arterton, Luke Evans & Roger Allam
An enjoyably light and frothy adaptation of the comic strip series from The Guardian newspaper, Tamara Drewe is a fun British comedy.
Adapting the popular comic strip written and drawn by Posy Simmonds and published in The Guardian newspaper, itself a loose adaptation and modernization of Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd, Tamara Drewe is an unexpected comic book adaptation not being based on action ad/or super heroics. Adapted by Stephen Frears whose films have frequently delved into sects of British society, his adaptation of Tamara Drewe is a more light hearted film that that which he most often known for. The film itself is quite enjoyable if more light in tone than the actual material it is adapting.
Ewedown is a small village with little to do. Ewedown has no bus service and no Post Office but is the location of a writer’s retreat run by author Nicholas Hardiment (Allam) and his suffering wife Beth (Tamsin Greig) with the help of local handyman Andy Cobb (Evans). When an attractive young journalist named Tamara Drewe (Arterton) returns to Ewedown, having left there many years before, she creates a stir within the community with her new looks, particularly with Andy, who once had a relationship with her, and Nicholas who wishes to start despite promises to his wife to cease his infidelity. Further complications arise when Tamara begins a relationship with a famous drummer named Ben Sergeant (Dominic Cooper) who she interviewed at a nearby concert which also draws in the attention of two neighborhood school girls whose pursuit of Sergeant and knowledge of the locals makes them privy to the secret goings on of the village, particularly in regards to Tamara, her suitors and her love life resulting in a teenage prank that threatens to not only wreck Tamara’s love life but also have implications for Andy, Nicholas, Beth and more.
Whilst an adaptation of a comic strip, the story and basis for such of Tamara Drewe is one that knowing this detail bears little relevance to the audience though doing so may at least expand their expectations of comics and comic strips beyond those that include super-heroes. Tamara Drewe, partly inspired by the book Far from the Madding Crowd, has more appeal to those familiar with that tale than those who are not. References are littered throughout and aspects of the story and certain characters are directly inspired by Hardy’s novel but then there are elements to Tamara Drewe that might also appeal to literary crowds such as the inclusion of a writer’s retreat which pokes fun at aspiring writers working in different fields whilst offering different perspectives on the events occurring around them in Ewedown in their roles of overly imaginative witnesses. Perception is a key theme throughout the film too with characters getting momentary glimpses of situations that allow them to be misinterpreted with the roles of two school girls following a famous drummer to the home of Tamara Drewe resulting in gossip and pranks that threaten to destroy several relationships. Despite the humour, Tamara Drewe does have a few flaws. The role of Tamara herself, whilst seemingly intended to be a cipher shaped by others perceptions of her, is still frustratingly undeveloped leaving her motives largely unexplained as though she is fickle and indecisive whilst the ending, faithful to the comic strip, strikes a very different, and somewhat uneven, tone compared to the events that preceded it.
While the character of Tamara Drewe is somewhat undeveloped leaving Gemma Arterton with little drama or depth with which to give the character, she is nevertheless perky and engaging when affecting the men in her presence. It is the most memorable film role for Arterton to date. Luke Evans brings a satisfying level of brooding to the role of Andy, the man who is perhaps more deserving of happiness than those with whom he is competing with for Tamara’s affections while Roger Allam is suitably smug and slimy as the adulterous Nicholas. Dominic Cooper gives a memorable turn as drummer Ben Sergeant, no doubt inspired somewhat by Peter Doherty while Tamsin Greig and Bill Camp get the most sympathetic roles as Nicholas’ suffering wife and aspiring writer who admires her from afar respectively. The younger cast entertain too with Jessica Barden and Charlotte Christie as the school girls Jody and Casey with Barden being particularly memorable.
Lighter in tone than the material it is adapting, Tamara Drewe is still a fun and charming comedy while still keeping much of the drama. The lead character may be too undeveloped to really engage with but the supporting cast and characters provide plenty of entertainment.
Rating: 3/5
