Oh, the ups and downs of family life with its joyous highs and tragic lows can make a most surprising emotional journey, particularly at the movies. And when three generations try to live under one roof (something very common over the past few months), well anything is bound to happen. In this tale past disappointments erupt into verbal warfare as a looming tragedy begins to chip away at the possibility of a mutual truce. Throw in the British tradition of burying one’s feelings and you’ve got the foundation of a gripping drama. Or a whimsical comedy. Or both. It helps that the center of this “dramedy” is not the typical film avuncular “Grampa”, but an eccentric and aloof “grifter”. Ah, but he’s still an offbeat charmer thanks to the casting of a terrific character actor. And he does dole out a few nuggets of real wisdom, from which springs the title,...
- 7/10/2020
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
It’s strange that as mannered a film as Carl Hunter’s Scrabble-loving debut feature “Sometimes Always Never” should yield one of Bill Nighy’s very least mannered — and best — performances, but then, these are strange times. They were strange back in 2018 when this British production, based on a screenplay by celebrated screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce premiered at the London Film Festival. They will no doubt still be strange in July when, after its stateside run in “virtual cinemas,” the film will bow on VOD. And they were certainly strange in the alternate, anachronistic present-day England in which the film is set.
Nighy, fielding a soft but convincing Liverpudlian lilt, plays widowed father, grandfather, bespoke tailor and Scrabble hustler Alan, a character who combines the actor’s easy rakishness, dapper style and stiffly diffident Englishness. Alan has spent many dogged years searching for his son Michael, who stormed out of...
Nighy, fielding a soft but convincing Liverpudlian lilt, plays widowed father, grandfather, bespoke tailor and Scrabble hustler Alan, a character who combines the actor’s easy rakishness, dapper style and stiffly diffident Englishness. Alan has spent many dogged years searching for his son Michael, who stormed out of...
- 6/17/2020
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
There are few more enjoyable actors to watch than Bill Nighy. He always just seems to be having a good time, mellow and easy-going. It’s rare that a filmmaker gives him a starring role, but he has close to one here in Sometimes Always Never, a film that’s been on the festival circuit for almost two years. That might suggest a problematic flick, but that’s not the case. Though the movie ultimately falls just shy of being recommendation worthy for me, it’s still a pleasant yet melancholic dramedy, with Nighy at the center. He’s not let loose like he usually is when at his best, like in Richard Curtis penned roles, but this is one of his fuller performances to date. The film is a dramedy, centered on Alan (Nighy), a tailor and expert Scrabble player. For years, Alan has been searching for his missing eldest son Michael,...
- 6/13/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Hardscrabble grief hides behind high-scoring words on the Scrabble board in “Sometimes Always Never,” English director Carl Hunter’s scattered-brained but ultimately affecting hodgepodge of a first feature. As if they’re random letter tiles from a full bag, some ideas create meaning while others crowd the hand without much use.
Bill Nighy dons the deadpan charm of wordsmith Alan, a man unable to engage with the likelihood that his son Michael, gone missing long ago, may never turn up. “Hope is a great friend,” he tells his other adult child, Peter (Sam Riley), during a trip toward possible closure. Nuanced emotions escape his vocabulary, and in his quest for the prodigal son, he’s alienated the son who remains, the solid constant he takes for granted.
Known for heartfelt dramas that include Danny Boyle’s “Millions” and Simon Curtis’ “Goodbye Christopher Robin,” screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce creates characters charged with latent resentment,...
Bill Nighy dons the deadpan charm of wordsmith Alan, a man unable to engage with the likelihood that his son Michael, gone missing long ago, may never turn up. “Hope is a great friend,” he tells his other adult child, Peter (Sam Riley), during a trip toward possible closure. Nuanced emotions escape his vocabulary, and in his quest for the prodigal son, he’s alienated the son who remains, the solid constant he takes for granted.
Known for heartfelt dramas that include Danny Boyle’s “Millions” and Simon Curtis’ “Goodbye Christopher Robin,” screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce creates characters charged with latent resentment,...
- 6/10/2020
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Wrap
"There are mysteries unsolved." Fs has an exclusive trailer to share with everyone. Blue Fox Entertainment has unveiled the official Us trailer for a British indie dramedy called Sometimes Always Never, which premiered at the London Film Festival last year. This detective fantasy / family drama is about how a love of words helps a father reconnect with a missing son. Bill Nighy stars with Sam Riley, Alice Lowe, Jenny Agutter, Tim McInnerny, John Westley, Oliver Sindcup, Louis Healy, and Ella-Grace Gregoire. Described as a "story about 'loss and words', the film's strength is the subtle story – a modern retelling of the prodigal son. Through Alan’s determination to find his missing son, he discovers his surviving son – the one that he's been missing for years, despite living 20 minutes away." This film has the quirkiness of Wes Anderson, with the heart of Danny Boyle, and it looks like a great indie discovery from the UK.
- 8/27/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Stars: Bill Nighy, Sam Riley, ALice Lowe, Jenny Agutter, Tim McInnerny, John Westley, Ella-Grace Gregoire, Louis Healy, Alexei Sayle | Written by Frank Cottrell Boyce | Directed by Carl Hunter
Sometimes Always Never stars Bill Nighy as Alan, a Scrabble aficionado, who has spent the last few decades of his life along with his son Peter (Sam Riley) searching for his missing child. Alan and Peter begrudgingly meet and travel to a morgue to identify a body that may, or may not, be the long-lost son and brothers they have been looking to find. What commences is a beautifully poignant family drama that touches on the delicate balancing of love and loss.
Bill Nighy and Sam Riley are terrific as father and son. The chemistry both actors bring to their respective characters is phenomenal. Nighy’s arc is beautifully orchestrated on paper and even better brought to life with an outlandish stoic nature.
Sometimes Always Never stars Bill Nighy as Alan, a Scrabble aficionado, who has spent the last few decades of his life along with his son Peter (Sam Riley) searching for his missing child. Alan and Peter begrudgingly meet and travel to a morgue to identify a body that may, or may not, be the long-lost son and brothers they have been looking to find. What commences is a beautifully poignant family drama that touches on the delicate balancing of love and loss.
Bill Nighy and Sam Riley are terrific as father and son. The chemistry both actors bring to their respective characters is phenomenal. Nighy’s arc is beautifully orchestrated on paper and even better brought to life with an outlandish stoic nature.
- 8/27/2019
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
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