TAMARA DREWE

UK, 2010, 109 minutes, Colour.
Gemma Arterton, Roger Allam, Bill Camp, Tamsin Greig, Luke Evans, Dominic Cooper, Bronagh Gallagher.
Directed by Stephen Frears.

For over 40 years, director Stephen Frears has been surprising audiences with the range of his films, from Gumshoe to My Beautiful Laundrette, from Dangerous Liaisons to The Queen. According to his comments, this time he surprised himself. While the credits say the film is based on a graphic novel by Posy Simmonds (which itself took its cue from Thomas Hardy’s also Dorset-set Far From the Madding Crowd), Frears keeps saying that he was making a film from a comic strip.

And so it is and despite this background, some of the characters are much more rounded out and developed than is possible in a comic strip.

Roger Allam and Tamsin Grieg (two noted British stage actors) are Nicholas and Beth who run a haven for writers, he writing his own novels and getting the money, she working the farm and being a kind hostess. The trouble is that Nicholas has a wandering eye and she always forgives him. When she asks him publicly about why he is unfaithful, he replies that she lets him.

Then Tamara Drewe (Gemma Arteton) returns home – with a nose job that has transformed her adolescent looks. She is insecure and begins a liaison with Ben, a group drummer (Dominic Cooper), and is not against other affairs until it all comes to a head. In the foreground is Andy (Luke Evans) who is redecorating her house (which was his family’s old house) and works the farm for Beth. In the background is American Glenn (Bill Camp) who is writing an academic book on Hardy but who is encouraged to write for a more down to earth audience by Beth.

And always there are two bored 15 year olds who cause mischief, talk sex as they read their magazines and have a thing for Ben, which leads to some stalking, house invasion and inappropriate emails and – tongue-in-cheek – the resolution comes about when Ben’s dog chases the cows in a Dorset stampede and a key character is trampled to death. But, as you might guess from what has gone on, he deserved it.

Rather slight but frequently funny and always quite amusing.

1. A confection, tongue-in-cheek, touches of realism?

2. The basis in a graphic novel, for adults, for adolescents? Jody and Casey and their reading the magazines and comics? Events and treatment – somewhat through their eyes?

3. The beauty of the Dorset countryside, rural, the retreat for writers, the farm, beauty, yet a death? The small town, isolation, the houses and streets? The sprightly musical score?

4. A writers’ story and tale? The relationship between literature and cinema? Stories, characters, plots, coincidences and accidents, contrived situations and characters? Part of the enjoyment?

5. The introduction to the writers, the quotes about their particular works, their chatting, personalities, the satire on writers? Their listening in to the troubles between Nicholas and Beth?

6. The title, Tamara Drewe and her story, a young girl, the big nose, her father leaving, the house, her mother’s death, her coming home, the past with Andy, with Nicholas, her leaving? Her nose job and the transformation? Her arrival back, the egg thrown at the car by the girls, her going to the hotel? The glamorous type, journalist?

7. Nicholas and Beth, married twenty-five years, Beth and her hard work on the farm, relying on Andy, a genial hostess for the writers, baking scones and cakes, taking them round, helping them? Nicholas and his writing, his supporting the retreat? His relationship with the Radio 4 researcher, trying to put her off, Beth realising what was happening? The confrontation, the shouting, the ending of the affair? His coming back – repentant and Beth taking him back? (And Glen hearing all this while in the toilet?)

8. Glen, from America, people getting his name wrong, his wariness of animals? His researching Thomas Hardy for so many years? Talking about Hardy, relationships, the old man with the younger – and the parallels with Nicholas? His meeting with Tamara, helping her at the house? Overhearing Beth and Nicholas arguing? His talking with Beth, her encouraging him with his insights into Thomas Hardy? His going away, writing chapters, their success, his return to the retreat?

9. Casey and Jody, bored, throwing eggs, getting up to mischief? Their adulation of Ben and the group Swipe? Trying to get into the concert? Reading the magazines at the bus stop, fantasizing, their fifteen-year-old talk, Jody clashing with her mother? The jealousies? Watching Tamara, getting into her house, taking the T-shirt, sending the mischievous email? Casey eventually photographing Tamara with Nicholas and sending it to Beth? Jody and the idea of the dog care, the message to Ben? The dog let loose? Ben catching her in the house, using her and her confession? The funeral of the dog and his weeping? Ben embracing her – and her urging Casey to take the photos?

10. Nicholas and his books, fame, payment, his theory about lies (and Glen quoting Doctor Johnson on Truth)? The years of writing, Beth and her typing, research, the manuscripts? His affairs – and Beth permitting them because she took him back? Ignoring his daughter who thought he was a git? The email, his believing it, going to Tamara, the affair, his motivation? Going to the conference, Beth asking the question? His searching for Glen in the paddock, their fight, hitting his head, the dog chasing the cows and his being run down? And the irony of Beth shooing the dog away and indirectly responsible for his death?

11. Tamara and her insecurities, return, journalist, trying to write her novel? Her going to interview Ben, the beginning of the affair, the proposal? The baby and Ben leaving her? Nicholas, the affair, reading her novel? Nicholas exposed at the conference, her returning home, the encounter with Andy? Her past with him? Her future?

12. Andy, the home being his family home, but poor, working hard on the farm, his story, with Tamara and the house, redecorating it? Working for Beth? The liaison with the girl at the pub? The truth and the happy ending?

13. Glen, success, Beth appreciating him, Nicholas catching him with Beth, the fight, his trying to leave, his being urged to stay?

14. Comic, foibles, human nature – with serious touches?