CONVENIENCE

7 out of 10

Release Date: 2nd October 2015 (DVD Premiere)

Director: Keri Collins

Cast: Ray Panthaki, Adeel Akhtar, Vicky McClure, Daniel Caltagirone, John Norton, James Bradshaw, Duane Henry, Velibor Topic, Margaret Jackman, Tony Way, Thomas Bell, Joe Marsh with Verne Troyer and Anthony Head

Writer: Simon Fantauzzo

Trailer: CONVENIENCE

Convenience is a spirited and very funny little film. It contains more energy than the majority of comedies I’ve seen recently and as predictable as the plot is there’s enough incident in Convenience for repeated watches. It has an infinitably quotable script and a very memorable comic creation in Adheel Akhtar’s (THE DICTATOR) supremely dopey and gullible Shaan.

Two friends AJ (RAY PANTHAKI – WORLD WAR DEAD) and Shaan, end up owing nearly £7k to Russian mobsters, simply because one of them, whilst looking for somewhere quiet to read, went and sat in the local strip bar. The situation escalates as he took his shirt off because it was really ‘hot in there’. They must find hte money by the morning so they rashly decide to rob the local petrol station. Unfortunately, for them the safe has a time lock so they decide to disguise themselves as clerks to hilarious effect.  Vicky McClure is the clerk on duty, who is expecting two trainees, so for a while the misunderstanding plays out beautifully.

The end result is a blend of Four Lions and Clerks. The similarities between this and Four Lions stop at the dopey Asian connection, but it resembles Clerks more with it’s procession of odd customers and the similar setting. Both of the boys develop a doomed crush on Vicky McClure and once she realises she’s in fact a hostage turns this to her advantage. I won’t spoil any of the jokes but there are some doozies. The ending I sublime and the outcome easy to spot but the un-PC jokes and brilliant timing by the entire cast earn the film a lot of good will.

It’s a shame this went ‘Straight to DVD’ as it’s way funnier than many of the comedies that have been clogging up the film schedules in 2015.

7 out of 10 – Very funny and undemanding. Highlights Adeel Akhtar as one to watch,  Ray Panthaki delivers a career best too (make of that what you will). Highly recommended. You’ll be quoting some of the funnier lines.

WHAT HAVE I SEEN THAT ACTOR IN BEFORE?

• Ray Panthaki: One Crazy Thing, Cryptic, World War Dead, Jadoo, The Man Inside (2012), It’s a Wonderful Afterlife, Interview With a Hitman, Screwed (2011), City Rats,  Kidulthood, 28 Days Later, Ali G Inda House, Eastenders (TV)
• Adeel Akhtar: The Show, The Night Manager (TV), Utopia (TV), Jadoo, The Dictator (2012), Four Lions
• Vicky McClure: This Is England ’90 (TV), Line of Duty (TV), Broadchurch (TV), Svengali, Hummingbird This Is England ’88 (TV), This Is England ’86, This Is England, A Room For Romeo Brass
• Daniel Caltagirone: Dough, Smoking Guns, Eliminators, Outpost 2, The Reeds, The Pianist
• James Bradshaw: The Grimleys (TV)
• Duane Henry: Montana, Comedown
• Velibor Topic: Never Let Go, Our Kind of Traitor, The Smoke, Outpost 3
• Tony Way: Trespass Against Us, Identicals, High-Rise, Aaaaaaaah!, The Riot Club, The Edge of Tomorrow, Sightseers, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2012), Down Terrace
• Thomas Bell: One Crazy Thing, Wizards vs Aliens (TV)
• Verne Troyer: Keith Lemon, The Imaginarium Of Dr Parnassus, Harry Potter & The Philosopher’s Stone, Austin Powers 3, Austin Powers 2, Austin Powers
• Anthony Head:  A Street Cat Named Bob, Despite The Falling Snow, Percy Jackson 2, The Inbetweeners Movie, The Iron Lady, Merlin (TV), Ghost Rider 2, Sparkle, Little Britain (TV), Imagine Me and You, Fat Slags, Buffy The Vampire Slayer (TV), A Prayer For The Dying, Howard’s Way (TV)