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| Parole Officer, The |
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  (8/10)
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Runtime: 93 |
| Public Rating: 10.00 (5 votes) |
Director: John Duigan |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: Comedy, Crime |
Year: 2001 |
| Writer(s): Steve Coogan and Henry Normal |
| Reviewed by: Alex Kocan |
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This 2001 British comedy is set within a corrupt police station. Simon Garden, Parole Officer, is transferred into the corrupt police station because everyone hates him due to his tendency to be extremely annoying. He accidentally witnesses a murder. As he is running for his life he drops his wallet. Unfortunately it falls into the hands of the corrupt police inspector. As a result he is fitted up for the murder and spends the rest of the movie trying to prove his innocence. He forms a gang of former clients, reformed criminals to assist him in his feat. They need evidence to prove the inspector's guilt. Will they succeed?
This romantic comedy is a fantastic vehicle for the comic actor and comedian Steve Coogan. He is famous in the United Kingdom for his character Alan Partridge, irritating chat show host.
The roles of the gang are played by Om Puri, Steve Waddington and Ben Miller. Miller specialises in slightly eccentric character roles. I can't help but think that he is really playing himself.
Critics of the time said this movie was, beyond doubt, terrible. I can only guess that they were expecting something along the lines of Coogan's numerous TV projects.
There are cameo roles by Jenny Agutter, of The Railway Children, and Omar Sharif, from Doctor Zhivago. They do not add much to the plot, but their appearance is an added bonus.
Once again critics bashed director John Duigan and the writers Steve Coogan and Henry Normal. They described the movie's plot as a comedy sketch stretched way beyond its limits. I totally disagree. It was a good movie, not great. But it was a fantastic vehicle for Coogan's dry and witty comic talents.
"The Parole Officer" is thoroughly enjoyable and is definitely worth watching. However, sometimes the adult humour isn't to everyone's tastes.
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