| Bunny and the Bull | |
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The whole film takes place within the home, and the mind, of Stephen (Edward Hogg): a young shut-in whose neuroses and hang-ups have weighed him down all his life and, after one tragic event, finally caused him to withdraw from the world entirely. One day, when a few mice ruin his carefully orchestrated routine, he is prompted to delve back into his memories of a road trip across Europe with his heavy-drinking, heavy-gambling friend Bunny (Simon Farnaby) and we are taken on a surreal journey through this important episode in Stephen's life. The story is a tried and tested buddy movie where one neurotic/up tight friend is cajoled along by a more jovial friend with a penchant for risks. Needless to say, Stephen suffered from a broken heart before the trip and, when the duo are joined by foul-mouthed Spanish accomplice Eloisa (a fantastic Veronica Echegui), is primed to do so again. Contextualising this European odyssey within Stephen's 'present' life as a shut in makes for a more interesting angle generally, but would be a mere indication of an inevitable tragic twist to the tale if it were not for the unbelievably original way in which we are shunted between reality, memory, and outright fantasy. Director Paul King takes the hands on playfulness of The Mighty Boosh set design and projections  and applies it on an infinitely more grand scale to the rooms of Stephen's flat. Carefully organised containers, piles of personal artifacts and OCD collections are not mere set dressing in Bunny and the Bull, but rather open out into the vistas of the troubled young man's mind. A map that triggers one memory expands to form the landscape itself, a clock that reminds him of another suddenly expands to form cog-and-spring carnival rides that re-enact important moments of his life, and troubled reminiscences in the bathroom result in an instantaneous transportation into a toilet train. Gondry-esque in it's artful simplicity and tactile joy, King's creation nonetheless crackles with a magical charm of its own.The trouble is that all of these beautiful visuals end up being populated by a slightly theatrical script which lacks subtlety. Whether it is the nature of the sets, or the previous collaborations in TV and theatre that stifled the performances here, it is a noticeable drag on a stunning looking production. Problems are compounded by unnecessary attempts to take smirk-inducing ironies inherent in the tale and expand them into a more bullish (sorry) humour. Veronica Echegui's otherwise excellent performance is the most severely handicapped by this, as she is hammered into a number of forced dialogues where she must spout stereotypes and unfunny mistranslations such as 'are you fucking my face?' Meanwhile the occasional attempts to shunt Bunny from affable drunk to alcoholic buffoon result in some awkward misjudgements of tone (notably in the final scenes). Even the welcome appearances of Mighty Boosh collaborators Noel Fielding and Julian Barratt inject little mirth to the proceedings. If Bunny and the Bull isn't mis-sold as a Mighty Boosh spin off, or even as a quirky comedy, it can set its obviously talented director King onto the road to bigger and better things. It's chocked full of insight and I really can't say enough about how great this film looks. But the lack of consistency in tone and nuance of scripting left me feeling that the visuals set a standard that the story didn't quite live up to. Take a look and judge for yourselves though, it certainly deserves a fair chance. Rating: ***
Starring: Edwards Hogg, Simon Farnaby, Veronica Echegui, Noel Fielding, Julian Barratt, Richard Ayoade |
A simple premise, some stunningly original set design and a lot of heart are ploughed into the feature debut of Mighty Boosh director Paul King. The result is a unique road trip that goes everywhere and nowhere.
