May 6: Cemetery Junction

"A 1970s-set comedy centered on three young working class friends in a dreary suburb of Reading."

Cemetery Junction is a nice change of pace for Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It's a terrific coming-of-age dramedy set in 1970s England about Freddie (Christian Cooke), a man trying to find meaning in his life by trying to escape the little town he lives in and make a name for himself. His two best friends, Snork (Jack Doolan) and Bruce (Tom Hughes), seemingly hold him back and Freddie is conflicted about leaving them. Snork is a socially awkward chubby little fellow and is just looking to fit in and fall in love. Bruce is a bad boy factory worker who continually gets in trouble with the police and appears to be headed straight towards disaster. Freddie is also in love with his childhood friend, Julie (Felicity Jones), and she shares his desire to leave their little village. 

She looks like a cute little British bunny. 

The cast is one of the best things about Cemetery Junction. Ralph Fiennes, Emily Watson, and Ricky Gervais all play supporting parts. They are the veterans in their roles, but all of the young newcomer leads easily keep up with them. Cooke, Doolan, Hughes, and Jones all show great talent and its refreshing to see new faces on the screen. The cast is only helped by a great script and incredible soundtrack featuring songs by Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, and Elvis Presley. 

You can't go wrong with The Boss.

I would highly recommend Cemetery Junction. It has plenty of genuinely funny moments, as well as a heart-warming story that leaves you very invested in each character. Although the whole "big fish in a little pond" concept has played out many times before, Gervais and Merchant make it their own. The entire film is excellent and I hope Gervais and Merchant make more films like this in the future. I love Cemetery Junction. 

The Good:

a familiar story told with fresh faces and new energy

The Better:

a soundtrack that fits the setting perfectly and brings the film to greater heights

The Best:

an amazing cast of both young and old actors that all have their own moments to shine

Overall: 8.9/10

Trailer: