David Thewlis' Cheeky is all heart, an extremely touching, human story of a quiet man reeling from the loss of his loving wife and desperate to connect emotionally with their grieving son.
The wounded, gentle Harry may come as a surprise to moviegoers remembering Thewlis' searingly aggressive performance in Mike Leigh's Naked, but in the end it simply illustrates the versatility and range of this brainy actor/writer who always seems to be the best thing in every project he tackles.
That said, it's important to point out that the movie also manages to be flat-out funny. The humor is often subversive, though, much of it hidden in visual business in the background of otherwise serious scenes or throwaway dialog from supporting characters. Thewlis' sense of humor is whimsical, dark and harbors a solid appreciation for the absurd (A Cheeky quiz show question: Homosexual penguins: True or False?).
The supporting cast is delightful, especially Ian Hart as Harry's doltish brother-in-law and Lesley Sharp, who has done such impressive work previously opposite Thewlis in Naked and the television miniseries Dandelion Dead.
The DVD is a European PAL release, but is not region-coded and can be played on DVD players in the U.S. Track it down--it's worthwhile viewing.
