The parole officer

It seems a long time since I had the chance to write this week there are two really good films.

Ive chosen The Parole Officer to headline because its the British one of the two and despite what you might hear the British film industry is still pathetically undernourished.

So heres a film from one of our healthiest TV outputs. We Brits have our weaknesses but it seems we are one of the funniest peoples that inhabit the earth. So its only natural we should make good comedy movies. Many of our top comedians, who ply their trade with comedy characters choose, wrongly I think, to just bring those creations to the big screen. It doesnt really work for a number of reasons.

Steve Coogan, the man whose alter egos include Paul Calf and the incredible, smart-casual, talk show host Alan Partridge, has avoided the trap.

Instead, with co-writer Henry Normal, a film friendly character has been created.

Simon Garden is the parole officer who is framed for murder. Desperate times turn him to desperate measures so he enlists the help of three criminals who he has previously made it his lifes work to get on to the straight and narrow. Together they have to rob a bank to obtain the evidence that will clear his name.

Youd think all comedians whose trade is creating characters would be good actors but they arent. Coogan passes this test with confidence and artistry that is really exciting.

Please go and see The Parole Officer. Your country needs you.

Just time to mention Heartbreakers, which is universally being nicknamed flirty rotten scoundrels. Sigourney Weaver and Jennifer Love-Hewitt play Maxine and Page Conners a very convincing mother and daughter double act. They are con-women who head off to Miami Beach where they plan to pull off one last job by convincing William B. Tensy (Gene Hackman) to part with much of his fortune.

Heartbreakers is a classy, bubbly, exciting all-American comedy movie that deserves much more hype than I think it will get.