Who's in It: Peter Mullan, Brenda Blethyn, Billy Boyd, Ron Cook
The Basics: Depressed, middle-aged, laid-off Scottish guy needs to feel like he's alive, like he means something, like he could be … a hero! So he jumps into the English Channel and aims for France. It's The Full Monty, but with swimming. Almost as many bare butts, though.
What's the Deal? If I never again see another U.K. import about a bummed-out guy who gets a nutty idea and engineers his own cute personal triumph, it'll be too soon. Seriously, is this the only kind of movie they make in England/Scotland/Northern Ireland/Wales now? They've had ones about prison gardeners and hairstylists and menopausal women posing nude and men who want to dance naked (see above) and children of miners who want to dance (clothes on) and little brass bands that could. Do they get Oprah over there? Is that what's causing it?
Peter Mullan, You're Too Good for This Movie: He's one of the more underappreciated actors of his generation, so maybe this feel-good thing will give him some juice. But he's got a dark quality that doesn't fit well here. He seemed more comfortable as the tightly coiled, possibly psycho guy in the indie horror movie Session 9 from a few years back.
Brenda Blethyn, You're Too Good for This Movie: The Oscar nominee has hit that age at which any reasonably meaty role seems worth doing, even if it is the part of the long-suffering wife. So you can't blame her for wanting work.
Billy Boyd, You Have No Excuse: You're young. You were in the Lord of the Rings movies. You can do what you want. So do something worth your time. How about becoming the new voice of Lucky the Leprechaun? That's honorable work.