Things To Do Before You're 30 (DVD)

...After writing a list of things he would like to achieve, Colin hopes to discover the wonders of a threesome, but can his girlfriend Vicky make it work? Billy and Dylan both have problems with their love lives, whilst team player Johnny has to come to terms with an ill father; the man who helped start their precious football team all those years ago.

Although each problem may seem simple on its own, when all your friends are having troubles ...
...to pull through? Can't good things last forever?



===Main Cast===
Kate:: Emilia Fox
Cass:: Dougray Scott
Adam:: Shaun Parkes
Colin:: Bruce Mackinnon
Vicky:: Billie Piper
Billy:: Roger Morlidge
Dylan:: Jimi Mistry
Johnny:: Danny Nussbaum



===Basic Facts===
Director; _Simon Shore_
Writer; _Patrick Wilde_
Genre; _Comedy_
Runtime; ... more

The reason I initially purchased this DVD was not because it had a fantastic plot or superb reviews (in fact, I had no idea what it was about!). I actually bought it because of the cast; it stars none other than my idol, Billie Piper. If the film had turned out to be appalling, then I guess it would have been a bit of a waste of money, but fortunately for me, it was quite the opposite!

What's It About?

A group of boys started a football team, and twenty years on, they are still together and playing their way through other teams. Nothing is the same for the lads as what it used to be though, each with their own dilemmas and problems.

Kate wants a family, but partner Cass is unsure about this. One team member, Adam, realised he was gay quite some time ago, but has yet to tell the rest of the team. After writing a list of things he would like to achieve, Colin hopes to discover the wonders of a threesome, but can his girlfriend Vicky make it work? Billy and Dylan both have problems with their love lives, whilst team player Johnny has to come to terms with an ill father; the man who helped start their precious football team all those years ago.

Although each problem may seem simple on its own, when all your friends are having troubles of their own, you have nobody to rely on for support! To top it off, is this the end for the lads' football team? Will they be able to pull through? Can't good things last forever?

Main Cast

Kate:: Emilia Fox
Cass:: Dougray Scott
Adam:: Shaun Parkes
Colin:: Bruce Mackinnon
Vicky:: Billie Piper
Billy:: Roger Morlidge
Dylan:: Jimi Mistry
Johnny:: Danny Nussbaum

Basic Facts

Director; Simon Shore
Writer; Patrick Wilde
Genre; Comedy
Runtime; 101 minutes
Certificate; 15

What Did I Think?

My views on this are very much mixed. To start with, it is a lot more 'sexual' than I had expected! To start with, in the opening scenes, Vicky walks in on the team showering after their match, and I can say that not one of them is clothed! They must have been freezing, to say the least!

I'm quite impressed by the plot of this film; it's very unique! I've never seen any film quite like this one! What surprises me is that, although it is based on the problems of a football team, very rarely do you actually see a football!

The problems themselves are, indeed, quite basic and ordinary, but somehow the director has made them appear so dramatic and gripping! By far, the most amusing one would have to be Colin's desire to have a threesome, although when Vicky kisses another woman…I was not best pleased! Fortunately, I have no haunting images of Billie Piper in my mind, and can still look at my idol in the same way!

The length of this film is nice too; I sat curled up on the settee watching it right through without feeling the need to check the time once! Some films can drag at that length, but this one did the complete opposite; it was over in a blink of an eye!

Although this is a comedy, there was some quite emotional scenes throughout too, which added a special touch to the film, giving it that little bit more to make it one of a kind. Nevertheless, I was certainly in hysterics a lot of the time!

The casting is amazing in this too; of course, with Billie Piper, I am bound to say this! Aside from that, I had not heard any of the other actors! Now I know a little more about Emilia Fox though, and ironically she is the cousin of Laurence Fox, whom Piper is now married to. I also found out that Jimi Mistry used to play a Doctor in Easterners, which I never knew! Since watching the film, I have also seen Shaun Parkes in Doctor Who, alongside Billie Piper…what a small world! At the time, the cast meant very little to me, but now I am becoming much more aware of their work!

Looking away from the film itself, and focusing more on the DVD, the cover in particular. Its main shade is yellow, quite a happy and mellow colour. In this way, it helps to indicate that this film has a light-hearted manner to it. The way the cast are positioned on the front is quite special too; each character inside their own white panel with their problems and desires stated. The cover alone is incredibly attractive! Unfortunately, there are no extra features on this DVD, sometimes I think that is a good thing (I don't fancy seeing any bloopers from the shower scene now, do I?!).

I purchased my DVD from Amazon a while back for less than £6. Having a look around, I cannot locate the DVD anywhere else either. Currently, it is on sale from £0.99 to £12 on Amazon, depending on whether you wish to purchase brand new or not. I'd say £6 was definitely worth it though!

Would I Recommend?

This film is not for everybody, I'll admit that! It is definitely not one for the kids, granted the '15' certificate! I think you have to be a very 'jokey' person with a natural humour to find it amusing; the comedy itself is natural and basic, not too forced. I think you cannot be easily offended to watch this rather rude film too, and not get embarrassed by the sexual content.

Of course, the film itself is pure brilliance, and I'd say that has got a lot to do with the fantastic talent in the cast…if any of those actors appeal to you, then that alone is enough to watch it!

Whether you are up for a good laugh or an interesting watch, then this film is certainly the way to go, and will make you feel good about yourself!

*****
Despite being unaware of the plot outline or anything else to do with this film, I am thrilled that I purchased it, and never would have watched it if it weren't for Billie Piper! Things To Do Before You're 30 is a rare film and it would take a lot to compete with it. It's definitely one of my favourites!

© Amy 2008 

...less