Three and Out

Although the producers have classed it as a comedy, I don't really find it can fit under just one genre. It wasn't a comedy of the sort like "American pie", "School of Rock" or "The Simpsons film" (just to name some really famous ones) in which you get regular jokes, set characters to make you laugh e.g. homer or jack black in that case, where you expect to say or do stupid/funny things, it was more of a literal 'film', perhaps like "Bridget Jone's diary", only whereas the same comedy style mentioned above, featuring some elements of comedy and its few moments, but not an actual pure comedy like the 3 examples I gave earlier.

I would actually call it more one of those films like "there will be blood" or "thirteen" that really just make you think or reflect, films that would be good to watch if you are interested in sociology. I must admit I find it hugely ironic that out of the many many films I've seen in my time that this, a classed "comedy" that is the only film other than "ghost" (I was very very young) that has ever managed to actually make me cry. The ending left me feeling very upset, as were literally almost the rest of the audience as they walked out the screen, you grow an attachment to the characters.

I was sceptical about seeing the film at first as the issue of the proposed comedy was suicide, but I think the directors didn't handle it controversially or distastefully overall. I also enjoyed how the film made me think about how everyone literally has such a past and a story to tell.

Overall I think the film was worth seeing, and would recommend it if you want something abit stronger or harder then the average film. Prehaps the producers were also unsure of how to really class this film into a genre.

After so many years of waiting for a worthy British comedy since Bridget Jones' Diary, this fine piece of work came as a breath of fresh air. After watching it half way i thought they could have done better but at the end of the movie everything made sense. Well its a British movie and it is very British, it outlines dilemmas that are faced by day to day men as we all try to work smart and not hard(with less in return). It seems there has been a lot of controversy as most(tube trade union) believe that the movie is insensitive towards tube workers. One wonders, but when did the British lose their sense of humour? this a comedy! I just believe it was an opportunity for some to get onto our screens. Everyone who has been to London knows that the tube is never reliable, but thats another subject. When titanic hit the screens no one went to protest but I am sure far more people have perished in the seas. The first good movie in a decade comes out and all these sharks are coming at it in full swing, please lets give this movie some credit it deserves.

I avoided anything with Mackenzie Crook in, because I had always associated him with Ricky Gervais, and I absolutely hate Ricky Gervais. I then saw' The Detectorists 'which I absolutely fell in love with, and saw Mackenzie in a different light, which led me to watching this. What a great film, characters you care about, excellent performances, unique story line and lots of subtle laughs.

to say that this film is great is an understatement it is brilliant. never have i seen such a mix of comedy/ drama/ romance that goes together so fantastically.

the cast are excellent with Colm Meaney giving an award winning performance , newcomer Gemma Arterton is fresh & very capable. if there was a vehicle for Mackenzie Crook then this should be it. the audience is able to feel Paul's anxiety and his need for pastures new.

it is extremely difficult to think of a film that has ever done such a good job at tackling what is a controversial subject. it's main plus is that the train driving is only ever a small part of the film and the majority of the running time is showing the journey Paul & Tommy go on and in the process we learn why Tommy is who he has become.

Way back even before this film even premiered at the cinema, the main London Underground tube drivers Union ASLEF were up in arms about this film being insensitive and that people falling under trains and suicide is not something to be laughed about. I don't know what they thought this film was about, or whether they had seen a completely different film to me, but I would struggle to class this as a comedy at all. It's a serious drama about a serious subject, and although, yes, there might be one or two chuckles here and there, this isn't an all-out comedy and never pretends to be. It's a serious look at Colm Meaney's character Tommy, his relationship with his wife and daughter and how it came to be that he is willing to throw himself in front of Mackenzie Crooks train. There is actually very little of the movie set underground at all - it soon takes on a road movie type trip through Liverpool (with a (thankfully brief) cameo by Atomic Kitten's Kerry Katona) and then onto Cumbria and the Lake District, no doubt to try and encourage movie-goers to holiday in the area.

Colm Meaney is better than he ever was in Star Trek, Imelda Staunton is there because after all this is a Brit flick and it says in her contract somewhere that she must star in every new British film going, while relative newcomer Gemma Arterton (last seen in St Trinians)puts on a Scouse accent for this role and does her rising career no harm at all - the new 007 film is up next, and the girl has a promising future in front of her. Mackenzie Crook I'm not so sure about. I was never a fan of "The Office" in the first place, but he seems to do well enough here - he and Meaney make a good team, it's just a shame that nearly all the original publicity back in April 2008 was negative, focusing mainly on the objections of the ASLEF union to a film that they had obviously not seen. Agreed, deaths under the wheels of trains aren't funny - I've researched my family tree and one distant relative did die this way and the inquest report makes for grim reading - I've no doubt that this is a very traumatic experience for any driver unlucky enough to hit and kill someone and no laughing matter - but then this film is no laughing matter either. It deals with a sensitive subject matter very well. I don't really see what all the fuss was about. I'd have thought the average IMDb score would be a lot better than it is currently. Ignore all the newspaper stories and judge for yourself. If any film deserves a second chance it is this one - surely a contender for the best British film of 2008.