I like Status Quo. I'm not a big fan, but I enjoy their amiable, fun rock music. In many ways, they don't get the respect they're due, perhaps because they never managed to break into the American market.
Bula Quo isn't a good film. It's not even bold enough to be terrible. Everything about it is just a bit bland and lacking.
Stuart St. Paul is a great stunt coordinator with a long history of good work. But as a director, he's awful. His films remind me of Willy Bogner, the ski film maker: Bogner's great with the ski films, but when he tries to make actual films, it all falls flat. And so it is with St. Paul.
The story is weak and predictable, but that isn't necessarily the kiss of death. If the acting was stronger, it could have been okay. Parfitt and Rossi aren't terrible, but they are terribly directed. There's some nice banter and back and forth between them, but it just doesn't come across well. With some acting lessons and a lot of rehearsal, there could have been a good performance there.
Craig Fairbrass does what he always does, but he's wasted and he's not a strong enough actor to deal with a poor script. Jean Heard isn't much good either - she's not convincing and has this funny habit of pausing after each line, which just drains the life out of her performance. The only good performance comes from Laura Aikman, who just happens to be St. Paul's daughter.
Most of the audience for Bula Quo are going to be Quo fans and they can probably overlook the shortcomings of the film just to enjoy see the band on-screen. And that's fine. It's just a shame that with a bit (well, a lot) of work on the acting and an actual film director, this could have been a decent little film - nothing that would set the box office on fire, but something mildly fun for a rainy day.
(PS The music is fine and they even play Pictures of Matchstick Men - their first hit from the 1960s)
