Review by Doug Cooper
Stars Eugene Byrne, Josh Bolt, Connor McIntyre, Catherine Rice, Liza Tarbuck, Neve McIntosh, Bryony Seth, Leanne Best
Written by Steve Lewis & Tony Owen
Produced by John Maxwell
Certification UK 15
Runtime 95 minutes
Directed by Bruce Webb
A film about two Liverpudlian lads, both aged 15, one of them with a terminal illness whose dying wish is to get laid, doesn't sound like an attractive proposition but fear not, The Be All and End All is a most refreshing and amiable dramedy - so put reservations aside and seek it out.
The leads, Josh Bolt and Eugene Byrne, newcomers with hitherto no acting training, are both terrific as best pals Robbie and Ziggy. They share a believable and warm camaraderie and play off each other with consummate naturalism. When Robbie is diagnosed with a fatal heart condition he orders his friend to find a girl to shag him as he doesn't wish to die a virgin. Ziggy does his utmost to help out - recruiting a fellow schoolgirl who shies away from the task at the last minute, taking him to a disreputable brothel that is unfortunately raided by police, paying for a prostitute who doesn't fulfill the job, and writing to Robbie's lost love Sophie (Seth) to help out. All this while wrestling with problems of his own, such as his feelings toward his absent father and the anger he expresses towards his mother.
All the cast are exemplary. Connor McIntyre and Catherine Rice give well judged performances as Robbie's grieving parents, Liza Tarbuck contributes an an appealingly no-nonsense turn as the staff nurse and Neve McIntosh is believably harassed as Ziggy's troubled mum, frustrated at her inability to get through to her son.
It is indeed moving but one must be grateful that it eschews sentimentality. In fact, it's a small gem - compact, immensely winning and delivered with a deft touch. Recommended.