Lucky Break Review

Would you believe its now four years since "The Full Monty" was released and became one of the UK’s biggest and most profitable films ever? Director Peter Cattaneo has waited until now to return with "Lucky Break," another comedy about a loveable bunch of rogues (quite literally in this case, as the film is predominantly set inside a prison) convinced by the most loveable rogue of the lot (James Nesbitt from TV’s "Cold Feet") to join together in an unlikely endeavour on stage. However in this instance they’re not stripping, but putting on an amateur musical about Horatio Nelson, during which Nesbit plans to escape.

"Lucky Break" is a film that sneaks up on you, and before you know it you’re sitting there with a grin on your face, chuckling along every few minutes. What lifts it above so many other disappointing recent British comedies is a great script (based on an original ideal by the director), which gives the talented cast the opportunity to give some fine performances, particularly James Nesbit in his first leading role, "The Sixth Sense" star Olivia Williams as the head of the Prisoner Support Unit who gradually falls for Nesbit’s charms, Bill Nighy as the terribly nice fraudster Roger, and the ever reliable Timothy Spall as the tragic Cliff Gumball However it is ultimately to Peter Cattaneo that most of the credit must go, for once again making it seem deceptively effortless to create a thoroughly enjoyable and uniquely British comedy.