THE DRUMMOND WILL

When frail old Howard Drummond dies, his city-bound family members are summoned to his countryside dwelling for the funeral ... and the reading of his will. His sons, the polar opposite Danny (Phillip James) and Marcus (Mark Oosterveen), co-inherit the supposedly destitute Howard’s only asset, his run-down country dwelling.

Danny, a vibrant joker who bears a passing resemblance to Russell Brand, is elated. City yuppie Marcus is less enthusiastic: he’s constantly tired, and keeps moaning that he wants to go home.

But the pair have a new house to sort out, and they’ve also promised over a pint to share a weekend of quality time with their old Uncle Rufus (Keith Parry). Much, of course, to Marcus’ chagrin.

As Marcus harangues the local police constable (Jonathan Hansler) over a broken window at his deceased dad’s estate, Danny is left alone to inspect the interior of the manor – and discovers the potential culprit: Howard’s ancient drinking buddy Malcolm the Bastard (Morrison Thomas) hiding in a cupboard, clutching a bag full of money.

Once Danny has managed to get rid of the local bobby by claiming to have broken the house window himself by accident, he advises Marcus of this discovery. They both share the conclusion that the money must be their father’s, as he never had a bank account. Unfortunately Malcolm insists that the loot is his. The pair decide otherwise, and lock him in the cupboard while they venture outside and bury the cash – "£220,000.00, give or take" – for safe-keeping.

When they return, Malcolm has died of suffocation in the cupboard. After much agonising about what to do (tell the police? Hide the body?) they decide to smuggle Malcolm home and make it seem as though he died there.

The following morning, you’d think that their lives would now be problem-free and a whole lot wealthier to boot. But the brothers awaken with a sense of paranoia, fearing that their deeds were witnessed by a drunk from the local village pub.

With the local constable sniffing around and the brothers becoming increasingly aware of the fact that several villagers have knowledge of Howard’s fortune, which may or may not be ill-gotten, the scene is set for a comedy of incremental errors, and almost inadvertent murders as the brothers desperately try to maintain their newfound wealth. And, of course, time with Uncle Rufus still needs to be squeezed in too.

Alan Butterworth directs THE DRUMMOND WILL with an eye towards subtle humour and mannered British performances. He’s aided by a highly capable cast who straddle the fine line between drama and black comedy very well. The results are akin to the Coen brothers at their most quirky.

Even more apparent from the very first shot is how THE DRUMMOND WILL is also a beautifully shot black-and-white film. These aesthetic qualities are possibly the film’s strongest facet, though this should not take away from the enjoyably wry script (co-written by Butterworth and Sam Foster), or the fantastic natural double-act found in James and Oosterveen.

Elsewhere, twists galore and a perfectly paced escalation of hysteria ensure that Butterworth’s film has what it takes to please anyone with even a fleeting agreement for British black comedies. Think vintage Ealing, updated with sardonic profanities and Ooversteen affecting an amusing Basil Fawlty-type intensity as events spiral further and further beyond his control.

On a broader scale, the plotline is vaguely reminiscent of Alex De La Iglesia’s COMMON WEALTH. But the script, with its sibling rivalry, quirky English village idiots and longingly gay vicar, becomes its own beast.

To its credit, THE DRUMMOND WILL is funny. It also works fairly well as a thriller, with minor gore and a pace that increases at the same rate as the madness.

The screener DVD-R provided for review served the film up in a pin-sharp widescreen transfer. Startling contrast and deep blacks helped with the clean visuals to represent THE DRUMMOND WILL’s stunning visual sheen accurately.

English 2.0 audio was consistent, clean and clear throughout.

THE DRUMMOND WILL is a very good film and has already won several awards at festivals worldwide. Although no official DVD release has yet been announced, it’s well worth seeking out.

For more information on it, check out www.thedrummondwill.com.

Review by Stuart Willis