Funny Cow (2017) Reviews

• Double sided sword of abuse

  PipAndSqueak2018-04-29

  Funny Cow is the insulting name given to the young woman who dreams of becoming a stand-up comedienne. She is funny and funny-peculiar. Not surprising as she has an alcoholic, neglectful and depressed mother and a foul mouthed and physically abusive father. The odd thing is that, even at a young age, Funny Cow knows her family situation is not normal. She learns effective methods to disarm the violence meted out against her - and it is the first thing she asks of the old comedian she tries to emulate. How do you rise up over the abuse? This is indeed a very interesting question and one we see Funny Cow address. However, she is still too funny-peculiar for the average person to learn much...but perhaps they should try. All the actresses playing Funny Cow at her various ages manage to merge seamlessly. Well cast, well directed and some fine acting. Only one person threatens to upstage these ladies and that is Diane Morgan whose exposure in the lead role of Cunk on Britain makes us want to see more of her here. No, it's not a funny film but, it does have some lovely one-liners. Just enough humour to compensate for the very sad tales this film depicts.

• Not a comedy

  raines-825872018-09-01

  They do a disservice to the movie by categorizing it as a comedy. It is not. Extremely moving, and shocking in parts. The story is from a time when so many women were expected to put up with their lot. Some other reviewers stated that it was a cliche in regards to violence in the north. As someone who isn't British and an outsider I didn't get that impression at all. It could have been this era in any area or country.

• Bleak but entertaining

  unyan2018-04-25

  Maxine Peake is on top form as a conflicted maverick in seventies Yorkshire who rails against the endless stream of male violence ,human indifference and suffering with her dry wit. The film tips a huge nod to kitchen sink dramas like Saturday night Sunday morning and there's no flinching away from the racist /sexist/homophobic jokes of the era. This film is not for everyone but does provide lots of humorous lines and moments amid the relentless misery. Cameos agogo - even Corrine Bailey Rae gets a look in !

• It's about Comedy, but it's not a Comedy. Doesn't matter, its a good movie that'll make you think.

  hunterhub2018-11-18

  Many people who have commented on this movie seem to have been somewhat misled by the title. Perhaps they were expecting Monty Python irreverence, a ventriloquist with a bovine puppet, or at the very least a new Wallace & Gromit adventure. It may not be funny in the realms of a deep belly laugh, but if you like your humour blacker than coal then there are enough things in here to make you chuckle at least. The soundtrack by Richard Hawley is excellent and helps set the dark tone of the whole movie. The movie has two central themes: the struggle of women in the 70's to be seen more than just a housewife, or an object owned by a man, "woman aren't funny", "where's my dinner" that sort of nonsense; The other theme is where does humour come from? What drives the people who make us laugh? The theme of being more than a housewife treads familiar territory. Abusive father, abusive husband, sexist attitudes by the men in charge, woman struggles to prove how good she is. Whilst historically accurate, it is the least interesting part of the movie. In 2018 we know the struggle for equality has largely been successful and although there is still a way to go, if you are funny you will get a gig if you are black, white, Chinese, a woman, or indeed a combination of any of those. There is a great scene in a club where Funny Cow is doing her second gig. The crowd, not used to seeing a woman on stage is hostile. A heckler steals a few punchlines, admittedly from tired old gags, and Funny Cow after briefly being taken aback, just dismantles him gag by gag. Within 30 seconds the crowd are eating out of her hand. Funny is truly equal opportunity and has no sex, race or creed. When the film starts to look at where the humour comes from, it becomes much more interesting and dramatic. This theme is played out by the heroine, Funny Cow and a tired, down trodden old comic that Funny Cow is trying to learn the trade from. Both Alun Armstrong and Maxine Peak are brilliant in these roles, getting inside the dark, tortured place that seems to be inhabited by many stand up comedians and showing what a heavy price is paid for their gift of making people laugh. Armstrong is just simply superb as he flounders on stage, resorting to racist jokes as he seeks out the laughs he craves like a drug. The sheer desperation in his eyes, in complete contrast to the smile on his lips and the humorous words he is dishing out to the audience. Painful to watch, but somehow compelling drama. Funny Cow is made of much tougher stuff and wears her humour like kevlar armour to deflect the pain of the beatings, abuse and the sheer bloody boredom of being a housewife. Peake portrays her tough, whip smart persona with just the right amount of vulnerability to show her human side and reveal the damage done to her by her tough upbringing. No, Funny Cow isn't a comedy, or a stand up show, but nevertheless it is a compelling drama with a few chuckles, a brilliant soundtrack and some first rate acting.

• A hidden gem

  bbewnylorac2018-07-27

  Not many cinemas will screen this independent little British drama. But it's a well made, heartfelt period piece that rewards your patience and attention. It's about a woman in the 1970s in working class Yorkshire who is determined to become a comedian, despite huge barricades she must overcome. Such as poverty, an abusive father, sexism, an abusive husband, and her own fear of failure. Somehow she knows that a better life is out there, and she manages to hang on to that dream, against the odds. In the lead role, Maxine Peake is great, as someone who won't take no for an answer, and is courageous in leaving relationships that aren't working. She is good at rising above people who treat her badly - e.g. when she visits her adult brother, and he and his wife are hostile to Funny Cow because the wife, for some unknown reason, dislikes Funny Cow. We see the spark of perseverance she had as a child, and she never loses that. The script, by Tony Pitts, is rich and taut. The pacing is good. Sometimes the accents are very thick but you do get used to them in the end. Alun Armstrong (New Tricks) is a joy to watch as Lenny - the crusty old vaudeville style comedian who Funny Cow latches on to as her mentor, even though, at first, he tells her that women can't be comedians. Paddy Considine has a meaty role as Funny Cow's intellectual boyfriend, who is kind and loving, but who she doesn't love. The film is a stylist's and costume designer's dream. Don't see this film if you're against smoking - all the characters drink like fish, and they smoke so much I almost started coughing. It's authentic to the period, though.