This piece of Irish whimsy makes "The
Quiet Man" look like neo-realism. "Alive and Kicking" is a totally daft
delight that finds old ladies Sybil Thorndike, Kathleen Harrison and
Estelle Winwood 'escape' from their Old People's Home in England only to
end up on an island off the Irish coast where, with the help of the
locals, including a young Richard Harris, making his film debut, they
set up a business knitting sweaters for the fashion market.It's all very silly and, if you're Irish, probably deeply patronising but it's also hugely likeable. Harrison and Winwood are excellent but it is Thorndike who steals the show. This grand-dame of British theatre has a grand old time scurrying up and down cliffs in search of birds eggs or hunting rabbits with a shotgun, (well, at least her stand-in does). Stanley Holloway is in it, too as the rich Irish-American who proves to be their saviour. Ripe for rediscovery.
No comments:
Post a Comment