"Coming Up Roses," a wonderful import from the United Kingdom packed with great humor and warmth, will be playing at Loew Auditorium tonight as part of the series on "New Celtic Cinema."
American-born, British-raised director Stephen Bayley's quirky film has the distinction of being the first Welsh film ever. Shot in South Wales, "Coming Up Roses" circulated the film festivals as a foreign-language film.
English subtitles are very necessary -- all the actors speak in Welsh. The novelty of such a film made in Britain, however, is easily transcended because the story is imbued with great characters, hilarious insight and sardonic British humor.
The film chronicles two people's valiant efforts to save the last theater in town, called "The Rex." The lives of the residents of Aberdene, as in many other towns of Thatcherian England, are quite bleak, plagued by unemployment and house foreclosures.
Yet out of this grimness, good-hearted Trevor Jones (Dafydd Hywel), a laid-off, good-hearted projectionist, and eccentric Mona (Iola Gregory), a former theater ice cream lady, emerge with a dream.
Aided by some senior citizens and a dirge-playing rock group that practices in the Rex, Trevor and Mona attempt to save their beloved moviehouse from the wrecking ball.
To raise funds, the pair devise an incredibly wacky scheme involving mushroom farming in the dark environment of the theater.
Though overwhelmed by the fear of losing the Rex, Trevor has other problems. He still has to support his three boys, his ex-wife and her new husband (also a friend of his).
Because of this friendship, Trevor borrows money for his ex-wife's husband from Phillips, the Rex's ex-manager.
Ironically, the man who served as the inspiration for film connoisseur Phillips and who also happened to be a film extra, died on the day of shooting Phillip's funeral scene.
Mona, who stands by Trevor all through this, comes to care for him deeply and expresses her love through her cooking.
Unfortunately, her culinary skills are not up to par with human standards and generates strong reactions. Look out for one particularly amusing dinner-gone-awry scene.
Mona and Trevor are portrayed with a humanity and sense of humor that sets the mood for the entire film. The casting is excellent.
Keep an eye out for the actress who plays Mona's wacky daughter, an unwed mother who becomes quite the entrepreneur. All the actors may be unknowns outside of Britain, but their performances promise them greatness.
When the theater on which the film is based was threatened by closure, director Bayley rallied together with the townspeople to salvage it.
Today, the restored theater is a thriving revival house. Trevor and Mona would be pleased.
