A small and humble cult film, Local Hero gave birth to the careers of many of its participants, as well as heralding the arrival of this branch of low-key, location dependent comedies.
Based on his soi-disant "Scottish ancestry", up and coming Texan oil representative Mac is sent to the small and unassuming Ferness in Scotland to coordinate its sale and the installation of a new refinery in its place. Dealing with a host of bizarre characters on each side of the Atlantic, he comes to slowly notice and appreciate the differences between the two.
I think the fact that I went into Local Hero knowing absolutely nothing about it was instrumental in creating the final impression it had upon me. For a reason entirely unbeknownst to me, I was expecting some sort of small scale character drama. As such, I was rather taken aback to find myself laughing at the ensemble of eccentric characters before me, each of them hilariously entertaining in their own way. From the skyward facing mustachioed magnate to the adorably clueless-in-love Scot, the film is rife with delightful characters, presented by an equally wonderful cast. The plot is fairly straight-forward and uncomplicated, paving the way for the film to prove itself with its wit. And it does just that, and thensome. Be it the strange interactions of Happer and psychologist, the simplicity of the village folk, the pathetic but endearing attempts of Oldsen to woo his beloved Marina, or the small and genius tidbits of incidental humour which perforate the narrative, the film never fails to entertain. The characters are each very enjoyable, their eccentricities complementing each other greatly and making for a pleasing string of interactions, most particularly in the enduring patience and politeness of Mac towards the invasive populace. And, to appease that originally misled section of my mind, there is a running element of drama in the form of Mac's adaptation to the considerably different Scottish life. His slow realisation of the downsides of capitalistic avariciousness and the concomitant emptiness and lesser quality of life forms a moral backbone to the story, supporting us as we are ensnared by the ribcage of comedy.
With a fantastic wit, Local Hero brings the best in comic characters and performances and combines them with a neat storyline and undercurrent of social conscience. All these ingredients intermingle to create a greatly amusing and entertaining film.
Based on his soi-disant "Scottish ancestry", up and coming Texan oil representative Mac is sent to the small and unassuming Ferness in Scotland to coordinate its sale and the installation of a new refinery in its place. Dealing with a host of bizarre characters on each side of the Atlantic, he comes to slowly notice and appreciate the differences between the two.
I think the fact that I went into Local Hero knowing absolutely nothing about it was instrumental in creating the final impression it had upon me. For a reason entirely unbeknownst to me, I was expecting some sort of small scale character drama. As such, I was rather taken aback to find myself laughing at the ensemble of eccentric characters before me, each of them hilariously entertaining in their own way. From the skyward facing mustachioed magnate to the adorably clueless-in-love Scot, the film is rife with delightful characters, presented by an equally wonderful cast. The plot is fairly straight-forward and uncomplicated, paving the way for the film to prove itself with its wit. And it does just that, and thensome. Be it the strange interactions of Happer and psychologist, the simplicity of the village folk, the pathetic but endearing attempts of Oldsen to woo his beloved Marina, or the small and genius tidbits of incidental humour which perforate the narrative, the film never fails to entertain. The characters are each very enjoyable, their eccentricities complementing each other greatly and making for a pleasing string of interactions, most particularly in the enduring patience and politeness of Mac towards the invasive populace. And, to appease that originally misled section of my mind, there is a running element of drama in the form of Mac's adaptation to the considerably different Scottish life. His slow realisation of the downsides of capitalistic avariciousness and the concomitant emptiness and lesser quality of life forms a moral backbone to the story, supporting us as we are ensnared by the ribcage of comedy.
With a fantastic wit, Local Hero brings the best in comic characters and performances and combines them with a neat storyline and undercurrent of social conscience. All these ingredients intermingle to create a greatly amusing and entertaining film.