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ACTOR
Bill PatersonEleanor DavidClare GroganAlex Norton
DIRECTOR
Bill Forsyth
SYNOPSICS
Comfort and Joy (1984) is a English,Italian movie. Bill Forsyth has directed this movie. Bill Paterson,Eleanor David,Clare Grogan,Alex Norton are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1984. Comfort and Joy (1984) is considered one of the best Comedy movie in India and around the world.
Radio host Alan Bird witnesses how an ice cream van is attacked and destroyed by an angry competitor. This leads him into the struggle between two Italian families, the Bernardis and the Rossis, over whose ice cream vans can sell where in Glasgow.
Same Director
Comfort and Joy (1984) Reviews
More subtle than ice cream...
At times the plot slows down to the point of drudgery. The script is not the wittiest or not nearly the most clever by Forsythe standards. Yet, by the end of the film I felt I had seen a truly wonderful little movie--charming, elusive, touching, like the remembrance of a Christmas wish from childhood. But, perhaps because we can all too well identify with the loss that Bill Patterson's character is trying to deal with (the best thing that could have happened to him, really) and his catharsis so delicately drawn, that the film is so satisfying. Many of my friends could not recognize its quality. Sad for them. There are great messages here, important ones, not the least of which, but perhaps the most sentimental, and (dare I say?) the true meaning of Christmas: to lose one's life is to find it. Bravo, Mr. Forsythe, et al. Bravo, indeed. (Bill Patterson is gold!)
An ice-cream war in Glasgow in December?? It couldn't be, could it?
Excellent movie - the only sad thing is that it's taken me so long to see it. Quite different from Gregory's Girl: it's probably not quite as charming but I think it's equally quirky and has a better storyline. Great acting as well, while managing to maintain that same freshness that we saw in Gregory's Girl.
Tidings of comfort and joy!
When early morning radio host Alan "dicky" Bird's kleptomaniac but spontaneously refreshing girlfriend Maddy dumps him a week before Christmas, not only does she take with her virtually every possession in his flat, but also the intangibles that he had become accustomed to over time: comfort and joy. Alan finds himself rudderless, bored and lonely during that time of year where it's impossible not to be reminded of "tidings of comfort and joy." Left only with his cherished red BMW sports car he drives aimlessly through the streets until one day he makes eye contact with an attractive girl in the back of ice cream van (keep in mind it's December in Scotland) and follows her on a whim. Seeking to change his fate, he approaches the van but when confronted face to face with the girl, can do no better than purchase an ice cream. But fate engages the situation more forcefully, and as Alan is walking back to his BMW, the ice cream van is savagely attacked by masked men with clubs and when one of the terrorists recognizes Alan as "Dicky" the radio host, he is unwittingly enlisted as an interlocker between the two warring ice cream competitors. The music of Dire Straits (Love Over Gold) is cleverly woven throughout the film, at times actually being incorporated into the dialog. An original offbeat comedy subtle but effectively funny.
Why Can't They Make Comedies Like This in the U.S.?
Watching a movie like this made me realize all the qualities that the majority of "comedies" coming out of Hollywood lack: real human characters instead of buffoons, whimsy, subtle interactions between people, comedy that comes straight from the characters in the movie rather than some screenwriter's contrivances or slapstick - and all of this without one scatological reference at all. From the bravura opening reminiscent of silent comedy, to the heartfelt closing radio soliliquy, the movie is a gem. The whole film, in its structure, tone, and details, is probably completely foreign to an American audience, yet at the same time, it is totally accessible, because the characters and situations are absolutely universal; this storyline could probably be tweaked slightly and set in any other country. Anyone expecting a fast-paced movie will be disappointed: "Comfort and Joy" takes great pleasure in setting up scenes which most other comedies would put on the cutting room floor, but are beneficial in helping us to understand the characters. Like real life, a bunch of unrelated things just happen, one after another. For example: the several scenes with Dickie Bird interacting with the daughters of his married surgeon friend. There's no sly wit, cutting irony, or anything of the sort in this scenes: they are simply there to show how Bird really does out of the bottom of his heart want to help others, and may even feel bittersweet about not having children of his own to take care of. The same goes for his short scene with the bedridden old woman in the hospital. In this way, we understand why he is willing to go to such absurd lengths to find a compromise between two battling ice cream proprietors. In addition, if this were a Hollywood movie, there would be greater concentration on the relationship between Dickie and his girlfriend Maddie - possibly even having a wrap-up in which they get back together, all so producers could pitch this under the "romantic comedy" label. But that would ruin the movie, because this is in essence a character comedy about Dickie and his personal growth. The tone of this movie is perfect, from veteran Chris Menges' gloomy cinematography, to Mark Knopfler's moody musical score. I must mention that I have never seen any of Bill Forsyth's other movies. They may be stylistically very different from this one, possibly more pungeant - I'm not sure - but people seem to look unfavorably upon this one in comparison to the others. In my opinion, this movie stands superbly on its own. Yes, it is simple, but the best comedic material is always simple: like Dickie's solution for the warring families, the movie is ingenious in its utter simplicity. Two scenes in particular are priceless: the scene showing how the ice cream truck music is produced, and the look on actor Bill Patterson's face when a psychiatrist asks him if he and his girlfriend had any unusual sexual practices. You don't find acting much better than Patterson's in this movie.
What a breath of fresh air!
I was looking through movie titles with David O'Hara and found this title, then found the video in a second hand store.I was so glad to get my hands on this movie. I loved that the plot line was NOT one of those "guy lost girl, guy does everything to get girl back" type of thing. What a breath of fresh air! It was a movie about a "real" person, the whole aspect of his life; his flaws, his character, his relationships with those around him and even his strengths. This movie is a feel good movie no matter what the year it was made in, It's a good laugh as well. Hollywood should definitely take a look backward sometime and follow the example of this story line! If you want a good movie that even the kids could watch with you, this is the one!