The Belles of St Trinians? (St Trinian's (DVD))

Name: sunmeilan

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Product:	St Trinian's (DVD)
Date:	12/07/08 (175 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Entertaining, some good performances

Disadvantages: Too much going on

When Annabelle Fritton's father forces her to attend the school at which his sister is headmistress, she doesn't realise quite what he has let her in for - St Trinian's is seemingly governed by total anarchy, with the schoolgirls allowed to do exactly what they please. Headmistress, Miss Fritton, apparently has no control over them, yet she has their undying devotion. Annabelle slowly begins to realise exactly why this is. When the girls find out that St Trinian's is facing bankruptcy and may be shut down, they get together, with the help of Flash Harry, to ensure that this doesn't happen. Will they win the day? Or will the Minister of Education manage to get the school closed down?

Rupert Everett, who plays both Miss Fritton and her brother, Carnaby, clearly had a total ball when he made this film. I really enjoyed watching him, something that I didn't expect because I didn't think he could better Alastair Sim, who played the Frittons in the original films. I still think Alastair Sim probably has the edge, but Everett did a really good job and made me smile every time he was on screen. It is very clear that, as Miss Fritton, he is a man in drag, but as this is a comedy, I don't think it really matters - it just adds to the general atmosphere of total madness. I particularly liked the scenes that he shared with Colin Firth - Firth's stiff-upper lip-ness and Everett's coyness went really well together.

Colin Firth is much as he is in most films - a rather pompous snob - he doesn't make much effort to be any different. Then again, there isn't really any need for him to be, because that character fits perfectly into the film. And he is quite good at the deadpan expression belying the fact that he is putting himself into some really embarrassing situations. Then there is Russell Brand as Flash Harry. I watched him with trepidation - again, the role has already been done so well by George Cole - but I thought he was actually quite good. He didn't have me rolling on the floor with laughter, but he did make me smile, and although his character wasn't totally necessary to the plot, I was glad that he was there.

There are so many characters in the film - it is about a girl's school after all - that few really get the chance to shine. However, there are a few that stand out. Gemma Arterton plays Kelly - I thought she was good as the picture perfect headgirl who is nevertheless quite likeable. Kathryn Drysdale (Two Pints of Lager) is great as the cheeky Taylor, although she does look a bit too old for the role, despite the pigtails. And Talulah Riley is brilliant as Annabelle, who arrives at the school looking like butter wouldn't melt...until she finds out what her father is up to and is given a make-over by the other girls. There are lots of other familiar faces amongst the girls, including Lily Cole, most of Girls Aloud and Mischa Barton, and some amongst the teachers - Celia Imrie and Toby Jones to name but two, but their roles are so minor that there is barely time to do more than recognise them.

I have always loved the St Trinian's films, but having read a lot of negative reviews, I didn't have particularly high expectations of this film. However, I found it surprisingly enjoyable and very much in keeping with the films of my childhood. I liked the way that it has been updated - such as Annabelle's introductions to the different groups within the school - the Emos, the geeks, the posh totties etc, the use of technology to organise the pranks and the choice of music that fitted in so well with the atmosphere. This made the film accessible to a whole new audience. I also liked the little touches of modern culture - Miss Fritton's dog is called Darcy after Colin Firth's role in Pride and Prejudice and the picture of Girl With a Pearl Earring, another Colin Firth link after his role in the film of the same name, and a quote from The Italian Job.

The film isn't perfect and I can quite see why some were so critical. The humour is quite patchy, often relying on the actors' expressions rather than the screenplay. And things are sometimes taken too far - there is a scene where Colin Firth kicks a dog and it is mown down by a lawnmower which I thought this was totally unnecessary, although I hasten to add we didn't see anything inappropriate. Then there is the fact that although the plot is quite simple, there is so much going on that it is just too much at times and it is hard to keep up. However, these flaws didn't completely mar my enjoyment of the film, which is the important thing.

At the end of the day, I enjoyed this film. I liked the fact that it was so British (made at Ealing Studios no less), showcasing a wealth of British talent (discounting Mischa Barton of course). And although it wasn't as funny as it could have been, there was enough humour to keep me occupied - thanks mainly to Rupert Everett. I don't know whether there are plans for another St Trinian's film, but I will be quite happy if there is. Recommended, whether you are a newcomer to the St Trinian's franchise or not.

The DVD is available from play.com for £7.99.

Classification: 12

Running time: 100 minutes

Summary: Not without its flaws, but still enjoyable