You don't say....
Ah, the exchange continues.
Anyone would think that Darren had sussed I had a certain admiration for this actor...
Seriously though, my Dunfermline friend is absolutely right to shout for the pleasures of This Little Yarn. It's slight and very British; modest of aim, but unswerving in its humanity. Written and directed by David Kane, but brought to life by a really cracking cast, it warrants being sought out.
Kathy B is, as ever, utterly captivating: she portrays her character Marey with great tenderness and wit. The character's psychological self-loathing, and yet the limits to that, are a real pleasure to watch. If I recall correctly ('cos there are lots of echoes through this La Ronde narrative), there's a scene when she and Danny - Douglas Henshall's character - split up because of his poisonous jealousy, which is in effect fuelled by his own loathing sense of self. Marey admits that she hates herself ... but not that much; not enough to put herself through his reflecting torture. Grand stuff.
I have very fond memories of first seeing this film at Warwick Arts Centre with Cloud. I had just finished an intensive week acting as an emanuensis for a disabled student I was working with at Hereward College, typing up his dictated dissertation. TYL was to be my treat. Of course, because at this stage I was still casually watching Henshall's work without a declaration of interest (we just happened to be up to watch the weekend repeats of Psychos as it was still being aired... and btw GRR, why has this never been re-shown?), I had to plot carefully the motivation for seeing this film. This was not helped by it being promoted as a rom-com... TYL is a rom-com only in so much as there are some great comedy moments and a fantastic declaration of romance at a supermarket checkout...
... but I digress.
This was where Kathy B being in it just absolutely helped me out. Lord knows I couldn't sell the film on its promotional campaign or the soundtrack. But Kathy: she saved me. I pointed up Kathy and Ian Hart, and I just kept Dougie as a muttered under my breath additional extra. Of course, in the actual cinema Cloud soon spotted the casting and began to frown realisation, but this was before our trecks across the country in pursuit of cinemas showing the belatedly released Orphans or, much later, The Lawless Heart.
Anyway, I guess what I am chiefly saying is... Darren's right on to have a soft spot for this little gem, and it's not exactly 'outing' me to add that I do too. There's quite a nice article here: bit frothy and promotional but with some nice stills.
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