Sunshine on Leith  

Review: written May 2014

Leith Miserables

I admit it, I’m Scottish. But I was still a skeptic approaching a movie touted as MacMamma Mia. Still, got a group of friends round, handed out a wee dram here and there, and sat back. And from just a few minutes in – I realised I was going to enjoy this. Doing for The Proclaimers what Mamma Mia did for Abba is the pitch, but do we really need another jukebox musical? The answer lies in the songs themselves… it’s not a question of whether you like The Proclaimers (though I defy anyone not find at least a few of their songs catchy enough to become your earworm of the year).. it’s their lyrics. The songs are full of earthy lines – working class lyrics, as a friend of mine put it.. and it makes them feel universal. You might not know Edinburgh, but you’re going to invest in how these characters feel – some of my friends were undoubtedly dabbing their eyes at times. It says a lot for the universality of the lyrics that my audience made up of friends from a variety of nationalities, indeed, spanning several continents, all enjoyed. The story has been written round the lyrics in the same way Mamma Mia was – yet the story feels true, and the lyrics really do feel like they were written just for that situation. For those that know their songs there is undoubtedly a measure of fun to be had seeing the songs coming – wait a minute, did he say his wife’s name is Jean? That letter, is it from the US..??

Paired with these songs, Edinburgh, specifically Leith, is undeniably basking in sunshine, and looks frankly superb. The photography manages to make things look crisp and bright outside, yet still get the tone right in the slightly darker (metaphorically) scenes.. it feels like a movie, in other words – not a TV special.

So, take it from someone who is not a musical fan or indeed a huge supporter of the romantic drama, this is just great fun, uplifting, and yes, I can’t help saying it even though everyone else has – the feel-good movie of the year.