Showing @ Cineworld, Edinburgh Mon 23 & Thu 26 Jun
Charlie Weaver Rolfe / UK / 2014 / 92 mins
Spare a thought for the stock characters of romantic comedy: the witless stalker, the kooky free spirit, the pathologically suspicious lover. It’s not their fault; the fact is that “boy meets girl and they live happily ever after” alone does not make a story. And anyway, illogical behaviour is surely a recognisable hallmark of being in love?
For the most part, Charlie Weaver Rolfe steers clear of the stereotypes in his impressive debut feature. Romantic leads Alexandra Kalweit and Stuart Martin’s characters are both genuinely likeable and the hesitant unfolding of their relationship feels real enough. There’s some good dialogue, and they’re slightly quirky without being cartoon-ish.
But there’s more than one love story at play here, with recurring characters populating the periphery of scenes, their own dramas merely glimpsed. Indeed, perhaps the most passionate onscreen relationship, and certainly a large part of My Accomplice’s considerable charm, is the clear adulation Rolfe has for the town of Brighton. Real-life residents feature in supporting roles; local bands perform the soundtrack on film; the shopfronts, seaside and interiors are all rendered in larger-than-life colour. It is precisely this eye for engaging details that elevates this rom-com well above the usual big budget offerings.