Driving Lessons DVD > Reviews > Watch it just for Julie Walters!

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Liked it
Story	Satisfactory
Characters / Performances	Outstanding
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Good

Advantages:	Great Acting !
Disadvantages:	Not so great Storyline

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Driving Lessons 2006, Run Time 98 Mins, Rating 15.

The Story

This is a story about two unlikely friends, Ben Marshall (Rupert Grint) a young boy aged 17 on the verge of manhood and an elderly retired actress named Evie Walton (Julie Walters).
Ben lives with his over protective mother (Laura Linney) and his father (Nicholas Farrell) who is a preacher. They are not your average family; they appear to be very kind and generous to those in need but deep down there are lots of cracks in their family relationship.
His mother decides that Ben should get a part time job and so he does working for retired actress Evie Walton. Evie is an exocentric woman who is very theatrical; she says what she thinks and swears a lot, unlike teenager Ben.
Evie is shocked at how 'Good' Ben is and decides to try and bring him out of him self by taking him on a camping trip, she gets him to defy his parents, swear, drink, rake the law and have sex!

My Thoughts

Julie Walters is marvellous as always in the role of Evie Walton, and Ben Marshall is excellent as young innocent Ben Marshall. They are great on screen together, this of course is not the first time we have seen them put together as a pair as they both starred as mother and son in the Harry potter movies.
This film has a slightly odd story but it is very well written and very funny, the character of Evie is very funny indeed.
Laura Linney gives a great performance as the neurotic over protective mother of Ben; she really is very strange and slightly disturbing to watch.
I have to say it is not a film I would watch again but would recommend it for Julie Walters's performance!

Characters and Actors

Evie Walton is played by the wondrous Julie Walters, Evie Walton is a retired actress who is need of company, she comes across young Ben and decides to make him her new project, she wants him to come out of himself and experience new things, and along the way he becomes her best friend.
Julie Walters is fault less, and really makes this film, she has been in too many films to mention all of them so I will only name a few, Educating Rita, Billy Elliot, Calendar Girls and Harry Potter.

Ben Marshall is played by the up and coming Rupert Grint, Ben is a young boy on the verge of manhood, he has led a very strict and sheltered life until he meets Evie who surprisingly opens his eyes to he wonders of the world!
Rupert Grint came to screens as Ron Wesley, Harry Potter best friend in the Potters films, he is a brilliant little actor and it is great to see him playing a different character.

This film was written and directed by Jeremy Brock, who has also been responsible for some of the 'Casualty & Holby City' specials, and also for the films Mrs Brown and Charlotte Gray.

Where can I buy it?

Available from Amazon on DVD for £10.99.
 

Pictures for the review

Display pictures

Ben and his mum