From writer Ayub Khan-Din (East is East) and director Nigel Cole (Calendar Girls, Made in Dagenham) comes comedy All in Good Time.
The film is based on Khan-Din’s play Rafta, Rafta, itself based on the 1966 Hayley and John Mills-movie The Family Way which in turn was adapted from Bill Naughton’s play All in Good Time.
Atul (Reece Ritchie) and Vina (Amara Karan) are the newlywed couple who find family, fate and acute self-awareness conspiring to thwart the consummation of their marriage.
Much of the film takes places in the first few hours and days after their wedding as the young couple seek to enjoy their first intimate moment in Atul’s parents’ spare room.
As their attempts fail the couple find their nascent marriage heading for the rocks in the goldfish bowl of Bolton’s backstreets.
The two leads are full of charm and nicely capture the nervousness of young, and frustrated love and Cole milks their discomfort and naivety to the max.
The National Theatre production of Khan-Din’s play starred Harish Patel and Meera Syal as Atul’s busybody parents, roles they reprise here to great effect.
A slow developing sub-plot means the film doesn’t end on the obvious high note but you’ll see the pay-off long before the characters do.
A trio of nosey neighbours with a mournful and unhealthy interest in the young couple’s sex life provide a superb supporting cast and their obvious amusement at Atul’s inability to ‘get it up’ helps ensure the audience finds sympathy with him even his more priggish moments.
The film strikes a tender note and amid the emotions and lust packs a healthy quota of genuine belly laughs which should ensure it enjoys the same much-loved status as East is East.
All in Good Time arrives in cinemas on May 11th.
Our verdict 3/5