This is one of those “based on a true story” movies that rather undercuts its veracity by having every character talk like they’re in a movie. In 2010, in Port Isaac, Cornwall, a quartet of loutish music industry execs throwing a stag weekend for a colleague hear the singing of the local fisherman. Described by one character as “the rock 'n' roll of 1752,” it sure has some heavenly harmonies, and one of the louts hears the sound of money.
But a couple of the singers don’t want to hear word one about a deal. “We’re just fishermen, you see … there’s no need to sell our souls for fifteen minutes of fame … now if you don’t mind, son, some of us here have some real work to do.”
Repeat some variation of that for nearly two hours and there’s the plurality of Piers Ashworth, Meg Leonard and Nick Moorcroft’s dialogue for “Fisherman’s Friends,” directed by Chris Foggin.
The Cornwall seaside, shot here with care by Simon Tindall, is formidable and lovely indeed, and when the gruff seafaring manly men are singing instead of being grumpy, as in one church-set recording session, you could almost mistake this picture for a very slight, mildly charming variant of the genuinely great 1983 film “Local Hero.” (And yes, the Fisherman’s Friends are a real choral group, that really charted, that really sings in Port Isaac to this day.)
But that impression is likely to fade fast. Between predictable, commonplace plot turns and characterizations of music business types that are even more obnoxious than the norm, the movie’s straining for effect is less than ingratiating.
Fisherman’s Friends
Rated PG-13 for the gruff language of the gruff locals. Running time: 1 hour 52 minutes. Rent or buy on iTunes, Google Play and other streaming platforms and pay TV operators.
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July 23, 2020 at 06:00PM
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‘Fisherman’s Friends’ Review: A Tale of Unlikely Chart-Toppers - The New York Times
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