What Rats Won't Do

Why, oh why, isn't this movie on DVD??

I found this movie by accident on TV and it is one of my favorite romantic comedies, and one I can recommend to my rom-com-loving friends. For someone who loves London, the locations used in shooting are a delight. (The scenes shot there were a reason I visited the Middle Temple on my last trip....it is a thoroughly delightful part of London.)) I think this movie is really well done.....I highly enjoy the scene outside the Temple Church, with two background scenes silently going on, one on each side of a pillar behind the two protagonists. This is a wry, witty, entertaining movie.

In London, the lawyer Kate Beckenham (Natascha McElhone) is near to her wedding day with her fiancé Graham (Valentine Pelka), when she is invited to defend a heritage case against the brilliant lawyer Jack Sullivan (James Frain), who has never lost a case in court. The twenty-one years old American Mirella Burton (Parker Posey) is disputing fifteen millions of pounds and some properties against Gerald Burton Jr (Charles Dance), the inherited son of her deceased husband. During the trial, the romantic Kate falls in love for Jack, and sees the case in another perspective.

"What Rats Won't Do" is a very British romantic-comedy, but also very pleasant. In spite of having many jokes with the British peculiarities and behavior, the enjoyable story is very supported by the nice cast and the good chemistry between the gorgeous Natascha McElhone and James Frain. In the end, love wins and this movie entertains, without being special. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Um Caso de Amor" ("A Love Affair")

A clever little comedy with enough romance to sweeten it without descending into the realms of the sickeningly saccharine. James Frain and Natascha McElhone shine as the two leads - Frain is witty and charismatic while McElhone makes her character endearing and wonderful to watch. This talented duo manage to hold their own even against a dazzling supporting cast which does not have a single weak link. The script is well written, impeccably acted, and British humour at its best, yet it doesn't exclude anyone from outside our little island from the jokes. There is only one thing wrong with this film, and it is not the fault of the director, writer, or cast - that it has been seen by so few people! I only got the chance to see it when, in a fit of insomnia, I stayed awake all night watching film channels and stumbled across it at about 3am. I am dying to buy a copy of it yet, despite thorough searching on the net, I can't find one anywhere. (If anybody ever happens to read this - I know the odds are against me - and happens to know where I might get one from, please write to me and tell me). It is a brilliant little Britflick that deserves more recognition, and an example of what our film industry is capable of.

And it is really made good by the actors and the chemistry they have. Even after the movie (or the plot rather) is over and there is some exchange you can feel it ... well done, which I reckon is also at least a bit of a testament to the script and director.

It begins kind of vague and flawed in a sense, but once the characters get up and running, there is a funny little flow about it. The cast is well assembled (with some known faces, if you are an avid movie fan) and the story is well told ... if your heart is in the right place and you like teasing a bit ... well a lot sometimes ;)

"What Rats Won't Do" is an excellent, romantic-comedy about lawyers in London. Kate Beckenham (Natascha McElhone) is a young, attractive barrister who is up against a superstar lawyer, Jack Sullivan (James Frain). Sullivan has never lost a case. Beckenham is planning her wedding to a complete idiot(Valentine Pelka) but she inevitably falls for Sullivan after initially disliking him. The case involves a beautiful, American twenty-something(Parker Posey)who is left $30 million by her septuagenarian husband. Her husband's middle aged son (Charles Dance) contests the will, claiming that Posey's character manipulated the old man into leaving her everything. Dance hires Beckenham, and Posey hires Sullivan.

Although "Rats" was predictable the script was witty and fun. As a Brit living in the U.S. it was nice to be reminded of the old country. The cast were all excellent, apart from Ms. Posey who chewed the scenery. The strong supporting cast included Michael Gough, Peter Capaldi and Samantha Bond. The director, Alastair Reid, was a veteran of British TV. The highlight of his career was probably the mini-series "Traffik," which was later adapted by Stephen Soderbergh and became the Oscar-winning drama 'Traffic.'