EDDIE THE EAGLE
Dir: Dexter Fletcher (12A, 105 mins)
The bizarre true life tale of ski jumper Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards is given the Hollywood treatment, as an apparent loser ‘triumphs’ making this a pleasant if unremarkable upbeat confection. Taron Egerton fresh from making anal sex jokes in the over rated Kingsman, takes on a far different hero, the plumber from Chelmsford who fulfilled his lifelong dream of competing in the Winter Olympics back in 1988. He wasn’t adept at the sport of ski jumping, terrible in fact, but through dogged determination he made it happen. Playing fast and loose with the real story, Edwards’ acquires a fictional trainer, an embittered Hugh Jackman, which abounds with sports movie clichés but still manages to charm. Director Dexter Fletcher joins the dots but makes sure Eddie isn’t the butt of the jokes, that would make for a far more snide, cruel film. Instead this is an almost relentlessly upbeat film propelled by a winning jaw jutting performance by Egerton. Jackman has great fun as his trainer and the likes of Christopher Walken and Jim Broadbent add some weight to the fluff. Resoundingly British, this is a winning underdog film with feel-good intentions.