Whiskey Galore: Good & Not Good

2nd May 2017

By Marti Dols Roca.

What’s good and what’s not that good about Whiskey Galore (2016)

What’s good?

It’s sweet: every little story-line the movie creates resonates with a certain aspect of everyday life and it’s very easy to empathise with them as well as holding a warm smile on your face for the ninety minutes the movie lasts.

It’s simple: less is more; the simplest the better; brevity is the source of wit… The movie efficiently tells a simple story in a simple way. Even though it sounds easy, it is not. How many good premises have gone bonkers due to ambitious (gently put) directors? i.e. Suicide Squad.

It’s fun: from the naively dumb British army officer to the ultra conservative Scottish mom, the film uses and uses well all kind of comedic registers in the shape of characters, situations or sound design. Again, no need to articulate the most sophisticated of jokes when whiskey and Scots are within reach.

It’s one of those movies that focuses more on little personal stories than in a big main storyline and consequently offers a portrait of a small and very particular society or ecosystem. Other similar products of different genres would be: Calvary (2014); Fellini’s Amarcord or Burt Lancaster’s starred Local Hero (which is also about a small Scottish town).

It doesn’t lie about its nature; in other words, it doesn’t try to be what it’s not. From the very first seconds of the movie we understand what we are about to see. There is a: “WWII-Tiny Scottish Island” caption, and then we hear a fairytale kind of music over a beautiful shot of the Atlantic Ocean. Enough said.

What’s not that good?

Why make a remake when nowadays these kinds of movies are not that easily appreciated anyway?

Is it too simple? What is the balance between simplicity and stakes? Considering that the result of the equation is the time (and money) investment from the audience, is worth reflecting on that.

Until what extent a movie about Scots stealing whiskey stands on its own?

Could it be that Scots don’t like it because it’s too cliché and non-Scots are just not interested or more interested in other simple and entertaining movies like Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2?

*On the other hand, Englishmen are made fun of; always a good thing for both UK citizens and foreigners.

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