There was a fair amount of interest in Cemetery Junction when it arrived in cinemas due to the fact that it was the first movie written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It’s something a bit different from the pair, tapping into nostalgia for the past, youth and a story that’s more drama than comedy (although the funnies are still present).
It’s the 1970s and Freddie (Christian Cooke) is a young man from the dead-end Cemetery Junction, a place that offers few options other than factory work for the rest of your life. However he’s scored a job as an insurance salesman, which he hopes will eventually offer him a better life. His friends, meanwhile, Bruce and Snork, are meandering through their lives, getting in trouble with the police and failing to grow up. Freddie’s new job leads him to reunite with old school friend Julie (Felicity Jones), who’s also his boss’ daughter. She’s on the edge of descending into a dead-end life herself, by marrying Freddie’s colleague, Mike (Matthew Goode), who just wants a doormat rather than a wife. However will any of them ever be able to escape Cemetery Junction?
It’s by no means a bad movie, but never quite reaches the heights it strives for. The problem is partly that despite the move to cinema, Gervais and Merchant’s script still retains a slightly TV feel, almost as if this were a TV series about three mates that got turned in a movie which is mainly about one of them. However this is only a minor concern, more difficult is that it sometime lacks the courage of its convictions. The movie tries to mix comedy, pathos and drama, and sometimes it proves as uneasy mix, so that while it’s constantly try to leaven the drama with comedy, sometimes they pull against each other, so that moments that should pack an emotional punch land with a bit of a thud when a joke doesn’t quite work.
It’s not a terrible problem, and the film is still entertaining, but it’s difficult not to wish Merchant and Gervais could have had a touch more courage, and trusted that the film would pack an emotional punch without needing a punchline, as when they do trust their own screenplay, Cemetery Junction works exceedingly well. Indeed it has a few exceptionally powerful moments.
It also undoubtedly looks great. Merchant and Gervais have really gone to town on the 70s production design, creating a truly immersive 70s world. That of course is really brought out on the Blu-ray, which offers a pin-sharp picture that shows off the depth of the image and the sepia tinted universe the movie creates.
The writer/directors have also assembled a very good cast, with Cooke in particular superb in the lead role, helped greatly by smaller parts for the likes of Anne Reid, Matthew Goode and Ralph Fiennes, while Gervais helps himself to a few of the funniest lines as Freddie’s dad. Particular mention should go to Emily Watson, who does more with a few lines, knowing looks and attitude, than most actors can do with endless dialogue.
As mentioned, the Blu-ray looks great and also offers a great selection of special features. There are two good commentaries, once with Merchant and Gervais, and the other with the main lads from film, who seem to have a good time offering their thoughts. Added to that are some okay deleted scenes, a good blooper reel and a selection of featurettes. The main featurettes are one featuring Gervais and Merchant offering an in-depth chat about the movie, another where the stars discuss the movie (to be honest, both these featurettes cover much the same ground as the commentaries), while a third looks at the wonderful production and costume design. Finally there’s a gallery of production featurettes, which were originally released online.
It’s a pretty good disc, with the featurettes etc. adding up to well over an hour. While the movie isn’t perfect, it’s not bad. Indeed it nearly reaches great heights, only marred by a tendency not to trust itself, and to add in comedy at inopportune moments. Nevertheless for their first time as feature film writer/directors, Gervais and Merchant haven’t done badly, even if it’s not the triumph some might have hoped.
Overall Verdict: Not a great film, but a pleasant, nostalgic trip, which nearly reaches great emotional heights, but keeps pulling back.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary With Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant
Cast Commentary With Christian Cooke, Jack Doolan and Tom Hughes
Deleted Scenes
Blooper Reel
‘The Directors: A Conversation With Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’ Featurette
‘The Lads Look Back: The Stars Discuss Cemetery Junction’ Featurette
‘Seventies Style: Production And Costume Design’
Production Featurettes
Trailers
Reviewer: Tim Isaac
