Fisherman’s Friends (2019)

Directed by: Chris Foggin | 112 minutes | comedy, drama | Actors: James Purefoy, Meadow Nobrega, David Hayman, Maggie Steed, Sam Swainsbury, Dave Johns, Daniel Mays, Noel Clarke, Christian Brassington, Vahid Gold, Tuppence Middleton, Mae Voogd, Yuna Shin, Ken Drury, Christopher Villiers, Charlotte Baker, Oliver Wellington, Sandy Foster, Jumayn Hunter, Jade Anouka, Sarah Winter

The Port Isaac’s Fisherman’s Friends is a group of befriended fishermen and coastguard crews and lifeboats. They live in the picturesque fishing village of Port Isaac, in the north of Cornwall. over 380 kilometers from London. They sing traditional sea shanties, typical sea shanties that sound surprisingly good from the throats of the tough gentlemen. The group has been around since 1995 and in March 2010 they got a record deal from Universal Music. This unusual story forms the basis of British feel-good film ‘Fisherman’s Friends’.

For the story of the film, the truth was of course taken for granted, but the makers have been forgiven for that poetic freedom. ‘Fisherman’s Friends’ is an unadulterated formula film, which does not avoid a large number of clichés, but instead embraces them cordially. And thanks to the charming cast and the fine setting, they get away with it too.

Londoner Danny (Daniel Mays) has reluctantly agreed to spend a bachelorette weekend in Cornwall with his boss Troy (Noel Clarke) and two colleagues. Danny works in the music industry. He is regularly the butt of teasing from the other three men. When the men meet the local fishermen – who have already been introduced to the viewer – and hear them perform on the quay for family and friends, for example, one of Danny’s colleagues jokes that Danny should try to get them to want a record deal. draw. Danny takes it seriously, not knowing that this is not meant for a moment. However, Danny is more honest than you might think, so he even puts his job on the line to arrange a musical breakthrough for the Fisherman’s Friends.

Then there’s the romantic subplot, in which Danny falls for the (grand) daughter of two of the singers, the single mother Alwyn (Tuppence Middleton) and of course also manages to wind her daughter around his finger. It doesn’t amount to much, but the two characters are sympathetic enough that you like each other and so sympathize, even though you know how it ends. Just like you can enjoy the fact that the Fisherman’s Friends still score a top ten hit against all odds and Danny’s former high-rise colleagues look on their noses.

‘Fisherman’s Friends’ is about the contrasts between posh London and the ‘simpler living’ Cornwallers and about what really matters in life. Of course, the main characters suffer from prejudice and go through a certain growth. Alwyn’s father Jim (James Purefoy) learns to be open to outsiders and not to be so rigid, Danny learns the advantages of a village community like Port Isaac and that it is not wise to leave your car near the water at low tide. to make. Predictable? Yes, but if you take that for granted, ‘Fisherman’s Friends’ is still quite enjoyable. The film has its heart in the right place.