Grimsby

Louis Leterrier’s Grimsby is (so far) the most outrageous comedy of 2016. The film follows the hijinks of Nobby Butcher (Sacha Baron Cohen), an idiotic inebriated football fan, as he finds his long-lost brother, who turns out to be MI6 secret agent Sebastian Graves (Mark Strong); Nobby unwittingly sabotages his brother’s mission, forcing the two to go into hiding and solve the case. Just a heads-up: if you are going to see the film, do not underestimate how gross it’s going to get. Let’s just say there would have been no short amount of childish giggling during work in the props and prosthetics department.

Joining in the cast are Isla Figgs as Agent Grave’s support Jodie, Rebel Wilson as Nobby’s girlfriend Dawn, Penélope Cruz as philanthropist Rhonda George, and Ian McShane as the head of MI6. Figgs and Wilson put on convincing differentiated British accents. Wilson is not featured much in the film, but for what time she is onscreen, she gives a funny performance, and the romantic chemistry between Graves and Jodie is subtly introduced and a humanising addition to Graves’ character. Ian McShane gives a good performance of a commanding and serious man-in-charge, but with a sociable side from time to time. Penélope Cruz’s portrayal of a philanthropic actress is charming, as is her portrayal of the character’s personality, fitting superbly into her role of the movie. All the characters in the film are introduced, recognisable and understandable.

On a side note, the hair, costumes and makeup of the cast greatly illustrate the characters visually. The film also attempts to appeal to various levels of class by portraying varied levels of class through characters and settings, each with both positive and negative aspects.

The film mixes the regional rudeness of lower class British humour with the thrill of high-octane spy action. At first it may seem like the two genres and respective tones drastically contrast from each other, but as the characters Nobby and Sebastian converge, the identity becomes clear and balances very well. Despite its advertised image as a rude comedy, which it is, Grimsby surprisingly contains incredibly touching scenes regarding the brothers’ past and the development of their rekindled relationship. The comedic parts never seem to detract from the seriousness in the film’s other genres.

As an action film Grimsby provides dramatic tension to the overall plot. It changes up locations, provides great action, and elements of risk throughout. The twist is spoiled by the trailer, but would otherwise be a good and surprising twist. To compliment itself, the film does well adding a sympathetic dramatic narrative to a comedy that exploits such vulgarity. If you want to see emotional storytelling, fantastic action and a British brand of comedy and drama – and if you think you can handle the gross vulgarity in said comedy – the Butcher boys of Grimsby is an unexpectedly fine choice.