I love a good independent film, and I love England.Loving those two things was not enough to love this film.The line between quaint and catatonic, between heartwarming and smarmingly saccharine, is rather fine at times.This director hasn't quite figured out how to keep his feet on the kosher side of the line.He has a good eye, and the pacing isn't bad, but it isn't good either. He lingers 10 seconds too long on just about every shot, 2 minutes too long on every scene.I love a good movie about nothing. But this is merely a mediocre one.

At first sight this seemed to be one of those cheapo, feature-length, depressing British films that I have grown accustomed to over the past few years.I could not have been further off the mark. The characters were lovable, even if they weren't very realistic. The acting was very natural, and each scene was shot beautifully.I had not seen the Hero's Journey narrative used in this context before, but it worked well. Aided by the original Folk music score by Kate Rusby and John McCusker, the beautiful montages, and the unexpected resolution, this film brought a few tears to my eyes, and made me feel content.

I am an American, so I guess I missed the stereotypical treatment of the "hero" and his small town friends. I thought this was a charming little movie about a simple man who discovers some simple truths about himself and the world around him. The northern English countryside was beautifully presented. Since I live in a small town in the southern U.S., I am sensitive to stereotypical treatment of us provincial folk, but this movie seemed to be genuine in its affection for its protagonist and the denizens of the "north country". This well told little story shows us that life constantly takes strange little detours, and that sometimes it's best to go with the flow, and it does it without beating us over the head with the "message".

I was recommended this film by a chap who doesn't watch a lot of films, so i expected it to be not great. However I really enjoyed it,the film reminded me of a book that i read called the alchemist, which was about a boy who is searching for something and realises at the end that he had already found through the journey what he was looking for.This film has a very similar premise and thats what the film is about the journey to blackpool, how you can change your life in a small amount of time and how you can learn things from other people.All the characters in the film are warm and all have a different perception on life. The main character also seems to learn something from each of them. Its quite a clever little film. If you've seen everything you want to see then give this film a chance I reckon you'll like it