Clockwise **** (1986, John Cleese, Alison Steadman, Geoffrey Palmer, Penelope Wilton) – Classic Movie Review 3787

John Cleese is on top manic form as a pompous British headmaster with a punctuality problem and anger management issues, in the funny 1986 British farce Clockwise, with an exceptional Brit cast including Alison Steadman, Geoffrey Palmer and Penelope Wilton.

John Cleese is on top Basil Fawlty-style manic comedy form as obsessively punctual Brian Stimpson, a pompous British comprehensive school headmaster with a punctuality problem and anger management issues, in Christopher Morahan’s funny and appealing traditional 1986 British farce that starts with a simple but effective premise.

Cleese’s character Stimpson must somehow find alternative transport when he misses the train to give an important speech at the annual Headmasters’ Conference at the fictitious University of Norwich, sparking a spiralling series of lunatic disasters. If he’s not careful, he’s about to be late for a very important date.

Michael Frayn’s often inventive and hilarious screenplay flags a little in places, but the strong cast keeps it ticking along very nicely indeed.

An exceptional Brit cast backs up Cleese, outstanding among them Alison Steadman as his long-suffering wife Gwenda, Geoffrey Palmer as another headmaster, and Penelope Wilton as Pat Garden, the unfortunate good Samaritan who gives Cleese a lift to disaster.

Also in that extraordinary Eighties cast are Stephen Moore as Mr Jolly, Joan Hickson, Benjamin Whitrow, Tony Haygarth, Sharon Maiden, Penny Leatherbarrow, Mark Bunting, John Bardon, Ann Way, Constance Chapman, Pat Keen, Mark Burdis, Nadia Sawalha [Carina], Geoffrey Hutchings, Geoffrey Greenhill, Geoffrey Davion, Charles Bartholomew, Michael Aldridge, Leslie Schofield, Nicholas Le Prevost, Peter Cellier, David Conville, Patrick Godfrey, Rupert Massey, John Rowe, Philip Voss, Jeffery Wickham, Nick Stringer and Graeme Green.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 3787

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