Another very droll comedy from Alan Plater who continues to display his love for the jazz scene after the wonderful "Beiderbecke" series. Elliott Gould is perfectly cast as the lugubrious old jazz pianist, and is superbly supported by Geraldine James as his long-suffering minder and Alun Armstrong as a laconic joiner-cum-jazz freak. It's also a good early role for a pre-"Trainspotting" Ewan McGregor too. A joy from start to finish.
6 Reviews
Great music in a little,wonderful film
hgarciagrigera26 June 2006
Elliot Gould fits perfectly in his performance of an angry sad and "against the world"piano player.Geraldine James and Alun Armstrong,two really "supporting"actors,those who do everything,for stars to shine with little reward,are also great.The plot is simple but the dialogues are sharp.It's also nice to see a starting Ewan Mc.Gregor.Never showed on cinemas,we can't appreciate the sound track as it deserves,but the worst is that it is impossible to get it recorded.Photography shows the right colors and lights for the general "atmosphere" and the old Citroen is the cherry for this lovely cake. By the way Irecommend the T.V.serial "New Tricks" in which Alu Armstrong plays an old retired-reintegrated detective.
one of the best ' musician' films
lesandchris16 April 2005
As a musician myself, I recognised the truth and accuracy of this great film by Alan Plater. It is very British , but definitely non the worse for that. The cast give it a light touch , and the result echoes the always present surreal quality of life as a musician, and the sometimes futile search for the holy Grail of that perfect next gig. Plater is one of the great English playwrights , and Elliot Gould and Geraldine James make the most of some wonderfully witty dialogue, with a wistful love story for bonus. The sheer stupidity that musicians are often faced with is a deep well for comedy , and Doggin Around is very funny indeed. I read one review that called it amateurish - which misses the point entirely . A slick , polished ( so-called ) American style production would not make any of the points this film does so successfully. The film portrays a great musician toiling away in obscurity ( eg Jelly Roll Morton in his final years ) and we know how he feels trying to create quality and beauty where only shallowness and glitz are the order of the day. Long live independent film-making !
For all Jazz Lovers
waldorfsalad21 April 2000
This is the story of American jazz pianist Joe Warren on an odyssey touring through England where old ghosts come back to haunt him as he haunts dives, pubs and cheap B&Bs. Elliott Gould is first-rate as the sardonic, philosophical jazzman and Geraldine James deftly plays his long-suffering keeper and reluctant ex-singer. This very entertaining little movie is also a must-see for Ewan MacGregor fans who shines in a pre-Trainspotting role. Though the film may lag a bit in places, it never falls into sentimentality, and of course, the music is great.
Loved it...
ynara9 June 2000
Really I only watched it the first time because my music teacher was actually in it...if you ever see it, he has a very small part as the double bass player in one of the clubs...anyways, I loved it, it's very funny and has some great music. I wish I could get hold of it, I first taped it on my very old Betamax vcr which has long bit the dust.
Amateurish unoriginal light drama
fromwithin13 May 2003
So I'm on a plane across the atlantic. I'd never heard of this film. The write-up in the in-flight magazine made it sounds quite good so I watched it. I was very disappointed. It was just awful. There were only two good things in it: Alun Armstrong, and the way that Ewan McGregor really looked like he was playing the bass. The rest of the acting was dreadful, but I expect this was largely down to the clumsy script. Almost every scene is rigid - there is not a moment when you forget that these people are actors. The storyline is incredibly thin, the characters are very one-dimensional, the direction is sometimes like a student film.
On an eleven hour flight, I actually felt like I wasted an hour and a half of my time watching this film.
On an eleven hour flight, I actually felt like I wasted an hour and a half of my time watching this film.
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