Having You DVD Review

Director: Sam Hoare,

Starring: Andrew Buchan, Anna Friel, Romola Garai, Isaac Andrews, Steven Cree, Harry Hadden-Paton, Hattie Morahan, Phil Davis,     

 Running Time: 92 Minutes

Certificate: 15

HAVING YOU begins like many a quirky indie drama, with its handwriting style credits, generic acoustic pop, and a montage that includes a protagonist with an out of the ordinary job; fixing arcade machines. Such generic tropes almost had me rolling my eyes, but as it turned out this wasn’t some bubbly comedy. However, it could be argued that it became something a lot worse as it revealed itself to be a melodramatic tearjerker that came across as more of a soap opera than anything else.

Friel plays Anna, a woman who takes her son Phoenix (Andrews) and goes off to find his real dad, a one night stand in the form of Jack (Buchan). Of course, having been 8 years, Jack is now happily settled down with a woman he’s just proposed to. If there is one thing in the film’s favour, it’s that it doesn’t try too hard to force conflict. Anna isn’t some mad woman who lumbers Jack with sudden responsibilities, she merely wants answers and if he wants no part in this then he’s free to walk away. Buchan also plays his role very well, as a man who isn’t sure what he wants. He doesn’t immediately deny his son, and their relationship plays out naturally..

The big issue here is that Hoare’s script doesn’t just want to tug at the heartstrings, but wants to ram its fist down your throat and squeeze your heart till it explodes. The set-up isn’t enough for Hoarde, who makes Jack a recovering alcoholic, his fiancé infertile, his dad a hateful vile man, and a last minute twist made all the more obvious thanks to how “moving” the film wants to be. With all going on, the focus begins to fade from what is most important. We all know we need character development, but Hoarde has chosen the least subtle afflictions to make his job easier.

Such ham-fistedness is a true shame, when the actors play their roles with the kind of subtlety that draws true power. Unfortunately, there does seem to be some struggling with the comic aspects, save for Cree’s comic timing, as many scenes feel as though they were going for the awkward kind of humour us Brits love, but forgot the actual funny parts. There are bits of dialogue here that no human would utter, no matter how foolish you wanted them to seem, and in what is predominantly a straight drama these moments really stand out as uncomfortable.

HAVING YOU will no doubt appeal to people who do love a good cry, no matter how manipulative the source is. The performances are good, and the whole film is constructed well, so even though it feels like 4 months worth of Eastenders plots shoved into 92 minutes, at least it looks like a film. With just a trimming of even one of the superfluous challenges that arises, the film would have felt more focused and dramatic, because despite the characters in difficult situations not seeming very needy, the script certainly feels as though it needs attention.

[usr=2]HAVING YOU is released on DVD on 13th January via Matchbox Films