Boring Boorman

Queen & County is John Boorman’s follow-up to his 1987 semi-autobiographical film Hope & Glory, although why a sequel now, after 28 years, I don’t know. (We’re not in regular contact.) I can only tell you that if you absolutely loved the first film, as I did — and still do — the news I’m about to deliver is not great, but there’s no avoiding it, so here you are: this is tonally confused, emotionally unengaging, doesn’t seem relevant in any way, and as for Bill, who was once so bright and charming and promising, he’s nothing special any more. I don’t know what I expected him to turn out like, but dull? I didn’t see that coming, I confess.

Hope & Glory was the story of nine-year-old Bill (then played by Sebastian Rice-Edwards) and his family as they endured the London Blitz. If you haven’t seen it, you should, and if you have but can’t remember the scene where, say, all the local boys line up soberly to take a peek down Pauline’s pants, or the whole class has to recite their nine times table while wearing gas masks, it may be time to see it again.