52 Films by Women Vol 4. 52. TOMORROW (Director: Martha Pinson)
Tomorrow, the London-set debut feature of script
supervisor-turned-director Martha Pinson, took five years from the start of
principal photography to being released in UK cinemas. In the meantime, one of
its actor-stars, Stuart Brennan, who co-wrote the screenplay with fellow actor
Sebastian Street, has directed his own movie, The Necromancer, shown
it in movie theatres and grimaced at the reviews. I cannot hail Brennan and
Street as Britain’s answer to Ben Affleck and Matt Damon – their writing isn’t
particularly subtle. Yet the resulting film is an endorphin rush masquerading
as a drama. It generates so much good will, it makes the Salvation Army seem
grumpy.
Street plays Tesla,
a traumatised paraplegic ex-squaddie who doesn’t want to think about his time
in Afghanistan, where he was injured in an explosion. He isn’t interested in
spending time with his former army buddies. Nor does he want to think about the
girlfriend who walked out on him. When we first see him, he is sprawled out in
his apartment (we say flat). Drinking in his local, where the bar staff bring
his drink to the table – nice – he sees Sky (Brennan) holding a dog struggling
to gain admittance. ‘Go on, let him in,’ says Tesla. Sky has a drink with him.
Sky’s pooch proves very popular with two young women, flatmates (sorry,
roomies) Lee-Anne (Sophie Kennedy Clark) who has an eye for Sky and Katie
(Stephanie Leonidas) who quite likes Tesla. Katie is studying for an MA in
Business Studies and has dreams of opening a restaurant in the Square Mile –
the financial district of London, not a neighbourhood where everyone listens to
Dire Straits. Lee-Anne is an artist who draws people when they sleep – cheaper
than hiring a model. She isn’t making money from her art, which becomes a
problem. Sky doesn’t need to work, but he has his own secret. His mother died
while he was travelling, but that is not the only thing he keeps quiet about.
He is not interested in physical contact with women.
So far, I haven’t
conveyed the tone of the film. It is as follows. Small problems are solved
every five minutes. Tesla gets a date of sorts with Katie. He cooks for the
four of them, with Katie passing him the carrots to slice. His veggie burger is
a-mazing – so good you separate syllables with hyphens. Before you know it,
he’s Katie’s new business partner. Did I tell you Katie passed her MA, with
help from her friends? Sky helped with the business plan because he’s always
helping people with their balance sheets. Lee-Anne contributed to the design.
In Tesla, Katie has a Head Chef. She has a location, a restaurant that is
coming up for auction. All she needs is the finance. No problem. Sky knows a
millionaire (James Cosmo).
Not everything goes
swimmingly. While he is getting ready for his first proper outdoor date with
Katie, Tesla has an Afghan flashback. She is left waiting by the fountains in
Battersea Park. Great location, but she’s still angry. They meet in Sky’s
favourite pub for his birthday – he’s 29. Katie makes up with Tesla, but not
out of pity.
Meanwhile Tesla
starts turning up for physiotherapy assisted by a woman with ‘Help for Heroes’
branding. The guys are playing wheelchair rugby – or murderball as the
Americans call it – but Tesla doesn’t join him. Katie invites him back to her
place but there are stairs. No problem. Without leaving his wheelchair, Tesla
hauls himself, body, chair and all, one step at a time until he reaches the
top. It is an impressive feat of upper body strength. No wonder he stays for
coffee and a bedroom scene.
There are several
mini problems. Sky ‘coughs’ a lot and gets blood on Katie’s business plan.
Lee-Anne is put out by Sky ignoring her. Tesla is asked to prove that he can
run a kitchen by getting a job as a KP – that’s kitchen porter, not a brand of
nuts – in a luxury hotel where the millionaire gives an inspiring if derivative
speech. The head chef (Paul Kaye) doesn’t like him, but a kitchen hand, Terry
(Shishir Bankapur) is a little more sympathetic. The work is physically
demanding. The chef complains that Tesla has finished last. Terry pleads his
case. Meanwhile the deadline for putting a bid in for the restaurant gets ever
closer. Katie gets a tele-marketing type job and attracts the attention of
Tristan (Will Tudor) – tall, blond, bi-pedal, but a little too self-confident.
Brennan and Street
aren’t exactly Affleck and Damon in the looks department. Brennan suggests a
cross between Dylan Moran and Denis Lawson (from Star Wars Episode IV).
Street looks like he is one of the cast members of the 1980s TV show, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet. Then there is the curious involvement of
Martin Scorsese, for whom Pinson worked as script supervisor. Scorsese has supported
a lot of women filmmakers in recent years – Joanna Hogg and Danielle Lessovitz
this year alone and, before then, Amelie Van Elmbt, Alice Rohrwacher and
Allison Anders. You can spot some of his influence, including the use of music
(‘And then he kissed me’) as Tristan is introduced in slow-motion. The music
cue elicits a chuckle. The film doesn’t have a strong visual style, though the
warzone scenes are edited for intermediate unease. Nevertheless, you warm to
the character. Even a line like, ‘I sold my art after Sky showed me a website’
works.
The scene in which
Tesla has a breakdown at an art exhibition filled with gaudy war art is the
accident waiting to happen. However, the film comes into its own with an orgasm
scene abetted by wiggling a toe (don’t take my word for it). Then there is the late
movie cameo by Stephen Fry, who oozes sensitivity and appears to be doing the
movie as a favour – to support Pinson, our troops or maybe because he had an
afternoon free, it doesn’t matter. Fry doesn’t act – he radiates benevolence,
like Father Christmas before his hair turned white.
The film preaches
values such as forgiveness, tolerance and taking advice. It leaks good will.
Given how toxic my country is at present, Tomorrow came across
as a tonic. Brennan really should leave that genre stuff alone and warm some
hearts.
Reviewed at Vue
Islington, North London, Monday 23 September 2019, 18:30. With thanks to See It
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