Brian & Charles

When I was looking at what films Pontio would be showing this month I noticed a film called Brian and Charles; the blurb said the entire film had been shot in Penmachno. That immediately made me want to see it! I have a disproportionate number of friends living in Penmachno. And I thought we could even all go there together. The Kates and Miles thought it was a great idea, but unfortunately we couldn't get our diaries to line up, so a gang of four going to see this undoubted work of art was not going to happen. But I still wanted to see it. And I still did after I had seen the trailer when I went to see the Quiet Girl. So I went.

From the trailer you already know that it is about a bit of a weird, lonely and awkward man, who is a bit of a Wallace-type inventor, and who builds a robot who becomes his friend. And that that might be lovely, but there is a hard world outside, which may well threaten his new-found bliss. And of course there is a love story in there (not with the robot, of course.) And from the trailer it is also clear that you don't need to expect too much realism. This robot is clearly more sophisticated than anything any robotics lab in the world can currently make, but also, this is a film. So that doesn't have to be a problem.

So what was it like? I loved the scenery, although I failed to recognise most of the crucial locations. Most of it is actually in Cwm Penmachno, which doesn't help. And I figured the man was a bit of a caricature, but of course he was. It was that kind of film. And you see him struggle on bit, trying to keep his spirits up. And then he finds some fly-tipped rubbish that seems to contain everything you need to to build a robot, so he does. And initially it doesn't work, but then after night with some serious thunder and lightning, it comes to life. They quickly become friends. And his life is immediately better. He does the "I'm home!" thing, which he clearly hasn't done for a while, and he has someone to cook for, and all these things you want from a companion. But he is also scared that the outside world would not receive him in a way he would find acceptable, so he tries to keep him hidden. But that, of course, is a fruitless exercise; this robot is more than human-sized and has opinions of his own. And he wants to explore the world. And how can you stop him? Sometimes Brian has to go into town to do some shopping, or to do a chore for one of the other villagers. (Sorting out someone's blocked sink is the only hint you get of how he actually earns a living. But if you see him drive around you wonder about the price of petrol, and you know it doesn't add up.) So sometimes Charles needs to be left alone, and then who knows what he gets up to.

If you want to see this film yourself and you don't want spoilers, then stop reading here…

Early on in the film, Brian bumps into a lady called Hazel, and it is clear he fancies her. He is not the kind of man to take this premise and lead it to a Hollywood outcome, but then there is Charles. He convinces Brian to take him into town one day, where Hazel sees him sitting in the car, and strikes up a conversation. Charles then convinces Brian to invite her along for the walk they had in mind. He turns out to be a good matchmaker.

The village also has a terrible bully, and the bully finds out about the robot, and of course wants him. And wants to destroy him for his own amusement, course. He is a bully, after all. And bullies get their way. And you see Brian struggle against the brutal force of the bully. But he is also an inventor. So together with Hazel, he starts making things that are clearly intended to help him win Charles back. And then there is a climactic scene where the bully wants to burn Charles on a bonfire. Suddenly, Charles can't walk on his own accord, so just lies helplessly on top of the bonfire. And no inventions are deployed. Brian patiently waits for the bully to set the whole thing on fire using a lot of petrol, and only then drags Charles off the top of the bonfire. And lugs him into his van. In his turn, the bully patiently waits for Brian to do that before he comes stomping in, demanding his robot back. Brian, Hazel and Charles speed away in the van. And then you get a car chase, which ends in some convenient spot. A showdown follows, which is witnessed by an increasing number of villagers who all show up to watch, and seem to get the courage to speak out against the bully, now that Brian shows how that is done. Then one of the inventions is finally deployed; it is a device that shoves the bully off his feet with panache. No laws of physics were employed here. But it works, and the bully and his entire family are forced to retreat under a barrage of cabbages fired from another invention.

The film suggests that that is it; the bully has seen the error of his ways, and is not mentioned again. And now the village is all happy and peaceful and Charles can just be part of the community. But he still wants to explore the world. The film ends with Brian giving Charles present: a round the world ticket. There is no mention of where he gets the money from, or how a robot can suddenly travel internationally, but hey, it is that kind of film. Brian who now has Hazel's love and a village without bullies claims he is not coming with Charles; he has everything he needs. And as a background to the closing credits, you see lots of Polaroid pictures of Charles in front of international landmarks, that he has sent back to Brian. A feelgood movie if there ever was one!

So what did I think? It was sweet. It is not my normal genre; it was a bit of a caricature. I quite like my disbelief to stay firmly suspended. But it still was worth it. And once in a while doesn't hurt to watch a movie in which antisocial behaviour can just be solved forever with one well-aimed shove of a Wallace and Gromit-esque invention. And where boy meets girl and they live happily ever after.

I wondered if the film was really about parenthood. You get the initial bliss and disbelief when they are newborn, then you get the negotiating when they are small children, then you wonder if you can keep them safe from the big bad world when they are teenagers, and after that you have to release them altogether. But if you've done a good job, they will still stay in touch! But there also was a message in there about community. Nobody dares say anything to the bully, but once one person starts, the others take courage as well, and when the entire community doesn't accept the bullying anymore it can exorcise it. I don't think I've met a bully yet who was that easily persuaded to change their ways. Doubling down seems to be a more plausible reaction. I suppose the parental message is a bit more realistic.

It was also a bit old-fashioned; it is a rather straight white cisgender business. Everyone needs to be coupled up in straight relationships. When Charles wears something feminine he is sent back indoors to change into something more appropriate. And I know; Penmachno isn't the most diverse place in the world. But this is a film; you can do what you want. They could have been a bit more inclusive.

Altogether it was quite sweet, though. I would recommend it! But you have to go in with the right expectations…

Brian's house