Sunshine On Leith

Year of release: 2013

Director: Dexter Fletcher

Starring: George MacKay, Antonia Thomas, Freya Mavor, Kevin Guthrie, Peter Mullan, Jane Horrocks

I went to see this film a few weeks ago after my dad pointed it out to me. It’s a musical film which is based on the popular stage production (of the same name) and it features the music of the Scottish band The Proclaimers. From what I had heard about it, the film seemed to be quite a hit and it was being heralded as this year’s Mamma Mia. I must admit, I do love musical films (not all of them – (some are intolerable) and I really enjoyed Mamma Mia so this film seemed very much up my alley.

     The story follows the lives of Davy (George MacKay) and Ally (Kevin Guthrie), two young British Army soldiers, as they return home to Edinburgh after completing their service in Afghanistan. On return to Edinburgh, Ally is reunited with his girlfriend (and sister of Davy), Liz (Freya Mavor), whilst Davy is introduced to his sister’s English friend Yvonne (Antonia Thomas) during a celebratory night in the pub (where else?!) where they all get spectacularly drunk and sing riotously with their friends. The film certainly kicks off in high spirits and as friends reunite and romances blossom, the boys begin to look out onto a brighter future, one that is a world apart from their lives in Afghanistan. 

     Whilst the film does centre primarily around Davy and Ally, there is a second plotline which follows the relationship of Davy and Liz’s parents, Rab (Peter Mullan) and Jean (Jane Horrocks). In somewhat soap opera style, Rab receives a letter from his long lost daughter (that he didn’t know he had) just days before he is due to celebrate 25 years of wedded bliss with his wife. Bad timing that, really. Yes, the relationships amongst the characters are not without drama and each couple faces some sort of dispute or upheaval that they must work to deal with at some point during the film. Whilst the drama does seem a little frivolous at times (like I said, it is something you would expect to see on a soap opera), it does add a bit of spice to the story. It isn’t all lovey-dovey, soppy, over-the-top romance like in a lot of musicals, so the drama does serve to add a little bit more realism and grit to the story – no couple is perfect which made the characters more relatable. I thought Ally and Liz made the best on screen couple – they were certainly the most believable pairing and they worked very well together. But the pairing of Davy and Yvonne didn’t really work for me. I felt they lacked chemistry in places and I found their romance a little hard to buy at times. It was also quite hard to understand what some of the actors were saying at times – the Scots talk very fast and they had pretty strong accents, so it was hard to catch what they said in places. But this was only on occasion, so don’t be put off watching because of the Scottish accent!

     Whilst the characters are likeable and the relationships are entertaining to watch unfold, it is the music that really sells this film and is what ultimately wins you over. There really isn’t a bad song on the soundtrack. Every single one is a hit and for the most part, the songs are lively, upbeat and extremely catchy. The Proclaimers certainly know how to deliver toe-tapping hits! ‘I’m On My Way’, ‘Over and Done With’, ‘Let’s Get Married’ and ‘Oh Jean’ were amongst my favourites, but of course you end up sitting there through the whole film waiting for that one song, that one big hit that everybody knows – which is typically left right until the end. Yes, ‘Gonna Be (500 miles)’ is the song that most people know and it is the one that we were all sat waiting for (right? Just me?). When it finally arrived, it provided the most jubilant and joyous ending (that we all expected really) and prompted a huge sing and dance along in the middle of Edinburgh. 

The song did feel very staged, as did a few other numbers, but they were all great fun to watch, and to be honest, it was everything you expected from a musical. So even if you aren’t that familiar with their music (I only knew a few songs), the film is still enjoyable to watch and it isn’t restricted to Proclaimers fans alone, so don’t be put off if you don’t know the music. The cast did an excellent job with the singing and the musical scenes were performed with real energy and gusto that really helped to bring the story to life.

It would have made the perfect summer hit, but this feel-good hit is sure to brighten up even the dreariest of winter days. 

Favourite bit: The bit in the pub when all the men sing’ Let’s Get Married’. It’s cheeky, boisterous and comical rendition of a fab song.  

Rating: 7.5/10