298. Huge

I don't think there is a movie this year which has left me with such mixed feelings as Huge.
One one hand, I was blown away by Noel Clarke, Johnny Harris and, even though it was brief cameo, Thandie Newton. And the movie was charming and poignant.
On the flip side, I smirked a bit but didn't laugh once and I felt that listing the non-speaking big names in its publicity just because they appeared in a crowd scene was a naked attempt to get bums on seats.
One would imagine stars like Jack Dee, Harry Hill, Frank Skinner etc only agreed to take part because their mate Ben Miller wrote Huge and was making his directorial debut.
In the end all they did was undeservedly shift a bit of the limelight away from Clarke and Harris.
The pair play Morecambe and Wise fans who try to make it as a comedy double act.
There is only one problem - they, in particular Harris's character Warren, are just not funny.
Warren is almost frighteningly intense in pursuit of his dreams but is so lacking in charisma that every time he goes on stage it is like watching a car crash.
Clarke shows a remarkable versatility by his switch from the usual gangland wideboy to an jovial but awkward Greek restaurant waiter, Clark.
He really stretches himself here and rises to the challenge splendidly.
Many comedy double acts say they have come through the school of hard knocks but Warren and Clark suffer nothing but knocks as they run the gamut of unsuccessful gigs in low-brow comedy clubs.
The strain shows with every failure.
I was impressed by Harris. He gives Warren a wonderful bouncebackability. In other words he is suitably manic and optimistic, almost simultaneously.
It seems, though, that Miller's problem is that he doesn't seem to know whether Huge is a comedy or a drama. Thus, it falls between two stools, not totally convincing as either.
Mrs W didn't like it at all and kept wandering off to the kitchen. It's not often I dare utter these words but I reckon she was wrong on this.
She said Huge was worth 4/10. I would have said 7.
Thus I have to come up with a final figure of 5.5/10 and say I want to see the next Miller film that made me chortle as much as the offbeat mockumentary Razzle Dazzle a few years back.