IMDb RATING
6.3/10
3.6K
YOUR RATING
A detective fantasy / family drama where a love of words helps a father reconnect with a missing son.A detective fantasy / family drama where a love of words helps a father reconnect with a missing son.A detective fantasy / family drama where a love of words helps a father reconnect with a missing son.
- Awards
- 1 win total
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- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
6.33.5K
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Featured reviews
Such a clever script and concept-
What a clever quirky little movie that proves when done well the British succeed where other fail.
No plot or spoilers here as it would ruin the movie but all the performances headed by Bill Nighy as Alan are superb. Bill Nighy plays droll eccentric old men better than anyone I can think of I can't imagine anyone else doing justice to this role. The last time I saw Bill Nighy in a movie was The Bookshop and even though it was not the starring role ,he played an almost Dickensian character he stole that movie
The only thing I'll say about the story is that it's about two families,both have suffered loss and both are bought together by the game of Scrabble.
The supporting cast of Sam Riley as Peter Alan's son and Jenny Agutter ,(out of habit as Sister Jullienne) well and truly in this film plays Margaret touchingly and with great humour ,this is a very funny movie ,almost a comedy but with a lot of pathos Tim McInnerny as Margaret 's droll husband is also very good. Also the rest of the cast Alice Lowe ,as Peters wife and Oliver Sindcup as young Peter are very very good.
Frank Cottrell Boyce ,who wrote screenplays for Goodbye Christopher Columbus ,Railway Man,and Hillary and Jackie among other films and television is one of the most respected writers for the British screen and it's easy to understand why.
I don't know much about director the Carl Hunter but if Sometimes Always Never is an example of his directing I hope to see more of his movies.
Don't miss this one.
No plot or spoilers here as it would ruin the movie but all the performances headed by Bill Nighy as Alan are superb. Bill Nighy plays droll eccentric old men better than anyone I can think of I can't imagine anyone else doing justice to this role. The last time I saw Bill Nighy in a movie was The Bookshop and even though it was not the starring role ,he played an almost Dickensian character he stole that movie
The only thing I'll say about the story is that it's about two families,both have suffered loss and both are bought together by the game of Scrabble.
The supporting cast of Sam Riley as Peter Alan's son and Jenny Agutter ,(out of habit as Sister Jullienne) well and truly in this film plays Margaret touchingly and with great humour ,this is a very funny movie ,almost a comedy but with a lot of pathos Tim McInnerny as Margaret 's droll husband is also very good. Also the rest of the cast Alice Lowe ,as Peters wife and Oliver Sindcup as young Peter are very very good.
Frank Cottrell Boyce ,who wrote screenplays for Goodbye Christopher Columbus ,Railway Man,and Hillary and Jackie among other films and television is one of the most respected writers for the British screen and it's easy to understand why.
I don't know much about director the Carl Hunter but if Sometimes Always Never is an example of his directing I hope to see more of his movies.
Don't miss this one.
Still and clear photography!!!
It is a joy to watch it. First, because of its style of shooting and second, because of its clear and rich colors. It looks as an brilliant school of art, designed precisely. On the other hand it is a good story, done in some traditional and emotional way, and who is playing in. Bill Nighy is as always excellent, elegant and charming.
A psychological portrayal of grief
Despite the rather grim topic, the film manages not to be overly sad. In fact it is an enjoyable journey of a father who becomes obsessed with scrabble in order to cope with his loss. It is a good psychological portrayal pf grief.
Loved the quirkiness of the film
I loved the movie. Bill Nighy is superb in anything he does, the rest of the cast were wonderful. It was written with humour, wittiness with a hint of sadness.
See It for Bill Nighy
I may never stop getting this film's title confused with another movie that also came out this year, "Never Rarely Sometimes Always."
"Sometimes Always Never" is a quirky and mostly forgettable little film, but it's anchored by a strong performance by Bill Nighy, as a dad on a meandering quest to track down a grown son who's gone missing. The film gives off Wes Anderson vibes, albeit much more subdued and melancholy ones. The production design gives the film some visual interest and a certain sense of style. It's one of those movies that I thoroughly enjoyed while in the middle of and can barely remember after having seen it, which is I guess my review of it in a nutshell. It does manage to build toward a modestly effective emotional pay off, I remember that much. For that reason, though it's not likely to blow your mind, the film also doesn't feel like a waste of time.
Grade: B+
"Sometimes Always Never" is a quirky and mostly forgettable little film, but it's anchored by a strong performance by Bill Nighy, as a dad on a meandering quest to track down a grown son who's gone missing. The film gives off Wes Anderson vibes, albeit much more subdued and melancholy ones. The production design gives the film some visual interest and a certain sense of style. It's one of those movies that I thoroughly enjoyed while in the middle of and can barely remember after having seen it, which is I guess my review of it in a nutshell. It does manage to build toward a modestly effective emotional pay off, I remember that much. For that reason, though it's not likely to blow your mind, the film also doesn't feel like a waste of time.
Grade: B+
Did you know
- TriviaThe film is based on a short story called Triple Word Score, written by the script writer Frank Cottrrel Boyce.
- GoofsWhen Alan claims that "jazz" is a high-scoring word in Scrabble, a character corrects him by stating it's impossible to play since there's only one Z tile in the set. In reality, this word is indeed playable using "wild card" tiles. If using J, A, and Z tiles and a wild card tile in place of the other Z, the word would be a high-scoring word worth a minimum of 19 points.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Projector: Sometimes Always Never (2019)
- SoundtracksSometimes Always Never
Written by Edwyn Collins and Sean Read
Performed by Edwyn Collins, Sean Read and Chay Heney
- How long is Sometimes Always Never?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Triple Word Score
- Filming locations
- Crosby Beach, Crosby, Liverpool, Merseyside, England, UK(seaside scenes)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $39,191
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,599
- Jun 14, 2020
- Gross worldwide
- $1,417,047
- Runtime
- 1h 31m(91 min)
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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