One For The Road

A sharp mouthed, scabrous, character-driven comedy, One for the Road recounts the sorry tales of four men - the bitter but ambitious Jimmy (Chisholm); ad exec on a losing streak Paul (Procter); millionaire Richard (Bennett) and the dope smoking cabbie Mark (Devenport) - who've all been convicted of driving under the influence. How long these four Midlands men are kept off the road for depends on their attendance at an alcohol rehab course where their problems are addressed by a counsellor called Ian (Phillips), whose hamfisted style seems to be derived from the worst stereotypes of the 12 Step program.

Brimming with a barbed wit and a dark hearted sense of humour, One For The Road is an intriguing study of male behaviour and ultimately inferiority, both individually and collectively. Adapted from the director's own highly acclaimed short, Shifting Units, there's a wealth of comic material in the men's fruitless attempts to get in touch with their feelings, while offering a startling glimpse into the embittered male psyche. The cast are all uniformly excellent; while Cooker's unfussy direction is perfectly weighted against the nature of the material. Go see.