A Bunch of Amateurs   Starring: Burt Reynolds, Samantha Bond, Imelda Staunton and Derek Jacobi Entertainment in Video RRP: £19.99 EDV9625 Certificate: 15 Available 27 April 2009

Jefferson Steel is a vain and egotistical former Hollywood star, out of work and unable to cope with his fall from the A-list. In a last ditch attempt to revive Jefferson’s career, his incompetent agent stumbles upon the perfect role - a prestigious run as King Lear at a theatre in Stratford. Arriving in England, Jefferson discovers to his horror that the Stratford in question is not '-upon-Avon' but a small farming community in Suffolk, and that his co-stars are not members of the Royal Shakespeare Company, but the local amateur dramatic society...

A Bunch of Amateurs is a comedy starring Burt Reynolds as Jefferson Steel, an aging Hollywood action star whose latest movie releases are not doing too well. He's too old to believably save the world and get the girl, but that doesn't stop the Hollywood machine using his fame to spit out mindless, cliched action movies. His latest film, however, looks to have spelt the end of his career. The audience can't stomach it, and there are no future job offers beating down his agent's door. Once an A-lister, Steel threatens his agent that if he doesn't get him some work soon he's fired.

In desperation, Steel's agent replies to a recent letter from a small amateur dramatics society in the UK. They are asking for Steel's help to save their theatre. In order to buy himself time, in which to find Steel a proper role, Steel's agent convinces Steel that this is a wise career move - that performing Shakespeare in Stratford will be just the thing to kick start Steel's flagging career.

When Steel lands in the UK and isn't met by a Limo, he's a little surprised. When he's driven to his accommodation and discovers it's not a Four Seasons hotel, but a guest house, he's a little annoyed, and when he sees that the theatre is a converted barn on a farm he realises he's been had.

But, as he slowly gets to know the locals, a new man is born out of the shell of an actor. And he realises that amateur actors have the hardest time of all - and deserve far more recognition and respect than he previously afforded them.

This movie wouldn't have worked quite the same without Reynolds in the central role. No stranger to being able to poke fun at himself (anyone whose seen him in My Name is Earl will already know this) Reynolds clearly has fun with the character. Equally, Imelda Staunton, whose character has a huge crush on Steel, puts in a great comedy performance, while Samantha Bond does an admirable job of playing the play's director and Derek Jacobi pokes fun at his own Shakespearean credentials.

The movie's conclusion is a little too Hollywood, although I did like the way that the actor's credits appeared as they each took a bow.

Extras are a little disappointing. All we get is the trailer and a collection of very short interviews with Reynolds, Staunton, Jacobi, Bond, David Parfitt (producer) and Andy Cadiff (director). Each is given a handful of questions (and each question is given it's own chapter - there's no "view all" option), most of which are rather unexciting. That said, it was interesting to hear that Staunton has known Jacobi as a friend for years - and recounts how she's seen him ironing her daughter's vests; and Cadiff tells an interesting story about how he accidentally told the movie financiers that he had managed to secure "Samantha Fox" for the movie, when he actually meant to say "Samantha Bond".

Despite the lack of any real extras A Bunch of Amateurs is a fun, if a little shallow, movie that will entertain you for it's duration. However, it's not the sort of movie that you'll really feel like watching again in a hurry.

7

Darren Rea