From director Peter Cattaneo (The Full Monty), this is a pretty good prison break-out comedy with an all-star cast. James 'Jimmy' Hands (James Nesbitt) is halfway through a 12-year sentence for an attempted armed robbery, and he gets a lucky break, he's transferred to a prison seemingly easier to escape from. He convinces Governor Graham Mortimer (The Sound of Music's Christopher Plummer) to stage a musical based on the life of Nelson in the old chapel, next to one outer wall. Rounding up volunteer actors and production members, including Cliff Gumbell (Timothy Spall), Roger 'Rog' Chamberlain (Bill Nighy) and ex-robbery partner Rudy 'Rud' Guscott (Snatch's Lennie James), and the leading lady played by new love interest Annabel Sweep (Olivia Williams), his plan seems to be going well. So, after the arrival of nasty inmate John Toombes (Frank Harper), and the death of Cliff, it comes to the night of the musical, and Jimmy plans his "break-out performance", along with a couple of the other players, but in the end, Jimmy decides to stay for Annabel, while the others get away with it, and Jimmy is released in the end anyway. Also starring Ron Cook as Mr. Perry the Guard, Julian Barratt as Paul Dean and Celia Imrie as Amy Chamberlin. The jokes are very light, but the performances are all good, and the story has its moments, it's certainly worth a go. Good!
Review of Lucky Break
