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Panic erupts and scientists feverishly make plans for a massive organ harvest. In the not too distant future, an epidemic of organ failures devastates the planet. It's also an actual opera: nearly every line of dialogue is sung, and the story is one continuous musical number.
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Widely known and loved for its WTH? Casting Agency (see below) and its lush soundtrack, the film has become a modern cult classic. It's a gory, dystopian and ultimately very moving Black Comedy that never takes itself too seriously. It's based on their play of the same name. Sunshine On Leith is out in UK cinemas now.Repo! The Genetic Opera is a 2008 musical film, written and composed by Terrance Zdunich and Darren Smith, and directed by Darren Lynn Bousman (of Saw 2, 3 and 4 fame). In the same week as the superior but harrowing Filth came to UK cinemas, we have the essential double bill of the year – though I recommend that you watch the more harrowing film first, because this serves as a lovely cinematic upper. Moreover, it’s a pretty terrific depiction of Edinburgh, which I’m sure will thrill the tourism bods. Accepting that the default setting of a musical is to be slightly over-powering, this is a film that is irresistibly enthusiastic without ever becoming annoying or overlong, and the strength of the cast and the music serves to carry a slightly weaker script throughout. Sunshine On Leith is about as charming and delightful as you would expect. There’s no star-led karaoke gubbins here, and the tone generally befits the folksy quality of The Proclaimers’ discography. It’s a quality that was also present in his debut feature, Wild Bill, which brought Western trappings to a family drama on a council estate, and works wonders here. The numbers are all pretty well judged, including a particularly enjoyable version of Over And Done With that overtakes a whole pub, and although the story has big emotional beats, Fletcher is never cloying at the audience. Instead, director Dexter Fletcher brings a refreshingly un-ironic sentimentality to the proceedings. She’s a veteran of musical theatre and cinema, which means she’s got some great pipes on her, but she’s utterly brilliant every time she pops up onscreen. In terms of both acting and musical performance, though, Jane Horrocks is the highlight of the whole film. Peter Mullan has a surprising vocal range, starting out in growly Tom Waits form, and lightening up a bit as he goes along. True, one of them is named especially so that they can be serenaded with a certain track by the other at some point ( Oh Jean), but there’s some beautifully written and played stuff between them. The stronger romantic arc is between Rab and Jean. After an uncharacteristically downbeat opening in Afghanistan, Mackay and Guthrie open the film with what looks like a guerrilla-filmed rendition of I’m On My Way through an Edinburgh street, complete with apparent non-extras reacting to their sudden singing and dancing. Allie wants to get married, ( Let’s Get Married) Liz wants to take up a research degree in Miami, ( Letter From America) and Yvonne hopes that Davey would travel a long way to make it work with her (the inevitable 500 Miles).īut the leads are all terrific singers, and they’re involved in some of the most raucously enjoyable numbers. In the case of the young leads, this is more to do with the charisma of the actors than the depth of character on display, and their stories are more obviously led by the song sheet. Musicals are typically more character-led than story-driven, unless they’re based on pre-existing source material ( Les Mis, Sweeney Todd et al) and the strength of Sunshine On Leith is in its likeable characters rather than in the way that the story develops. Elsewhere, Davey and Liz’s parents, Rab (Peter Mullan) and Jean (Jane Horrocks) celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary, but face the greatest crisis of their marriage when an old dalliance is revealed.Īs plots go, it’s hardly Inception. Allie is pretty certain that he wants to settle down and marry Davey’s sister, Liz (Freya Mavor), while Davey embarks on a whirlwind romance with an English nurse called Yvonne (Antonia Thomas).