Staggered (1994)

Memorable, crazy movie

Brilliant and touching

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

The reason I decided to watch "Staggered" is because I really like Martin Clunes in his British TV show "Doc Martin". However, there isn't a lot about this 1994 film that reminds me of the great TV show. "Staggered" is directed by and stars Clunes. He's Neil...a guy anticipating his wedding in only a few days. However, he has no idea that his Best Man is a total scum-bag and goes out to celebrate with Gary. Gary drugs Neil and Neil awakens to find himself in the middle of no where in Scotland....naked! The rest of the film consists of Neil trying to make it back to London for his wedding and finding, again and again, that Gary and his unknown co- conspirator will stop at nothing to stop the wedding--even if it means setting him up for crimes he's never committed.I think the idea of the film is quite good. But I give this one a 5 because too many times the plot just doesn't make ANY sense whatsoever. It took way too long for Neil to realize that Gary was not his friend (who is THAT naive?!), his inexplicable and easy escape and many, many serious problems just magically resolved themselves. Overall, good for a few laughs but not a particularly distinguished film.

Not as clever as it thinks it is.Nor as funny,unfortunately.Mr Clunes is amiable enough,but it takes more than amiability to carry a whole movie.The best performance by far is from Miss Sylvia Sims as his prospective mother - in - law,oozing with contempt for his,well,amiability,I suppose.He certainly seems to have little enough going for him,until you discover that his 27 year old fiancée must marry by her 28th birthday in order to inherit a £750,000 fortune,a small fact she has kept from him but not her ex and Clunes's best friend and boss,Mr M.Praed. Marooned by Praed on a Scottish island after his stag night,Clunes must find his way home in time for the wedding a few days later. His Odyssey takes him to a police station in Newcastle where he is brutalised by a detective with a Brummy accent(before Geordie became fashionable),a hospital where Miss A.Chancellor's unlikely pathologist for some reason falls in love with him,and the actual wedding where his erstwhile best friend has ousted him in his fiancée's affections. Told in a somewhat arty - crafty style with Clunes as his own videoed Greek Chorus,"Staggered" - stripped of it's pretensions,might have made an amusing 30 minute TV comedy,unfortunately,laden with "symbolism" and trying to prove how clever it is has merely made it rather tedious. Griff Rhys Jones,by the way,is terrible.

This movie isn't half bad! It has a great cast including Martin Clunes, Michael Praed and Griff Rhys-Jones (!) There are plenty of funny scenes in this movie although at times they tend to clash with the more serious issues like death etc. Overall I think this is a top British film that has a lot going for it. There were some very funny moments throughout and if you're a fan of any of these actors, it's pretty doubtless that you'll enjoy this. 8/10

This often overlooked gem from Martin Clunes is one of my favorite films of all time. The typical British comedy style is on show, with ecentric characters (bondage parties by Welsh door-to-door sales men) and a central character who you do geniunely feel sympathetic for in his fight to get to his wedding on time. However the highlight of the film is the beautiful Anna Chancellor as Carman, the goth pathologist who Gary picks up on his travels. With a perfect ending and tale of the underdog its defiantly worth renting or catching on TV.