Whisky Galore!

It was always going to be a tough challenge, if not an actual poisoned chalice, to remake an Ealing classic that is widely regarded as one of the best British comedies of all time. The new version isn't much like the misconstrued effort that the Coen Brothers produced when they relocated The Ladykillers from London to the American Deep South. It sticks fairly closely to the original story of Scottish islanders trying to recover the liquid cargo from a grounded ship during the Second World War. But while there is whisky, whimsy and charm galore, laughs are a somewhat rarer commodity, with the biggest coming from a vulgar one-liner that is funny because it is so out of keeping with the film's otherwise gentle tone. Its attempts to develop the female characters also seem dated and irrelevant, and a subplot about secret government papers simply fizzles out. However, Eddie Izzard is excellent as the pompous English Home Guard officer, as is Fenella Woolgar as his wife, who clearly sympathises with the locals. This remake will probably be best enjoyed by those unfamiliar with the original.