Sunshine on Leith

IMDB
First time viewed: Yes
Current Release: Yes
Watched With: Kate

I still have my mother's copy of The Proclaimers self titled album on vinyl. I never imagined a Juke Box style musical from their songs. The story they wove around it is pretty much 3 love stories. a couple either in love or falling in love, going through some kind of trouble and then the majority get back together.

Directed by the guy that played the american in Press Gang, it's a bright and happy film. It's budget shows a little but that wouldn't matter as much if the story was a little more engaging. It's so light it's vulnerable to just waft away at any moment.

The Proclaimers music doesn't really lend itself to dramatics. Besides the title song, they are pretty much just rollicking pub songs. And while they change up the tempo to a few the orchestrations seem to all be just a strumming guitar and some rhythm.

It's a crowd pleaser but everything about it just felt flat to me. They just abandon one couple on two separate continents whilst another gets two lots of split ups and get back togethers. They are the ones that get to sing the hit 500 miles, when they had a perfectly good couple that could have used a get back together that were literally miles apart. Didn't make much sense to me, if they are really going for that sort of bland everyone gets together at the end happy time musical. And if they aren't, don't have the other couple break up and get back together twice.

The story was never going to make much sense, some of the songs barely fit in with the plot they've created. But I think they are hoping you'll just enjoy tapping along to the songs. It helps a great deal that I remembered and had some connection with most of them. But I doubt there's much here if you aren't a fan.