Too much of everything

Good movie, but best of all time? Hardly . . .

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Since the film is based on a true story, you already know what the outcome will be from the starting point, so it leaves room for very little surprises. Nevertheless, the film is a wonderful feel-good movie. James Corden is perfectly cast as Paul Potts. The love story is beautiful and the characters are very likable. A delightful comedy, actually.

Based on true life. Specifically the life of Paul Potts, the first-ever winner of the talent show Britain's Got Talent. A mobile phone salesman by profession and an opera singer by hobby, he managed to struggle through life's hardships to woo an entire generation of TV watchers. It's good stuff, though I'm not sure it's enough for a whole feature film.The film has changed a few details, for example the profession of Paul's dad from a bus driver to a factory worker and the fact that in real life Paul had siblings, but I feel that those can be justified as it makes the story more streamlined and coherent. Perhaps the factory worker storyline is a bit heavy handed, theme-wise, but then the whole movie isn't exactly subtle. And I do appreciate the story. It's told very fairytale-ish, with clear underdogs, clear eventual winners, with good and honest people eventually getting their just reward, love triumphing and all that.And yet it all revolves around a real-life talent show. Something we've all watched every now and then. And as I was watching this movie, I couldn't help constantly wondering about just how much of this movie was a publicity stunt. Apparently most of it is at least based on true events. Which is something. But almost every life can be turned into wonderment if you run it through Disney Princess Magic filter. And that's what this feels like. It feels like pandering, it feels false.If you're honestly really into Britain's Got Talent, and Paul Potts specifically, you'll probably enjoy this film just fine. For the rest of you, bring toothpaste.

Starting with the movie synopsis, he was NEVER an opera singer 'by night' throughout the entire movie, and only sang for an operatic company near the end of the film when even then he only sang in the beginning of Aida until he went unconscious due to his stupidity which he demonstrates throughout the movie. It is disrespectful to those of us who have struggled against the odds to become something we truly wanted to be by implying he did the same. The only reason he even entered the contest at the end was because his wife was at her wits end with his lack of motivation to sing, although the movie does make it clear that he was well motivated to eat. Ironically, it is implied that his obesity was the main reason he was harassed while growing up, and only those who feel pity for him because of this would see some kind of justification for his eventual success in spite of his gullet.

I think the idea of this movie was to keep the audience in the cinema by firstly completely bemusing them before sending them to sleep in their seats.Directed by David Frankel, 'One Chance' follows the life of a dull, nervous, young boy, Paul (played by James Corden) who likes opera music, to becoming a dull, nervous, young adult, who sings opera music for a living.Firstly the title suggests that Paul only has one chance at something, when in fact he has at least five chances at several things. 1. He has the chance to progress from his choir to study music at a music but he blows this chance and chooses to leave school early and work as a mobile phone shop assistant, as this is obviously less difficult. 2. As a young adult in the word's capital of opera, Venice, he is heavily proposition by a very attractive, talented, educated, enthusiastic, rich young lady, who is also an opera singer, but he blows this chance because he's save a shop assistant girl back home in Port Talbot, the world capital of steel. 3. Also in Venice, he gets the chance to audition in front of his hero Pavarotti, but he blows this great chance by getting stage fright and drying up. 4. Back home he's offered the lead in a major production of Aida by his old music teacher – another big chance, but he falls ill on opening night, and is unable to perform, and looses that chance. 5. Although he was born and raised in Port Talbot, South Wales, and had no choice, when he comes into a lot of money later, he blow the chance of getting out of this depressive steel works town, by buying a house there to live. 6. He also enters a TV talent show. I won't spoil the ending, but just to say, it's another chance! Secondly, is this a film or an extremely long (and boring) advert for The Carphone Warehouse? We must have seen the shop at least 10 times, and had it mentioned at least twice this. The acting is competent from all, but a little caricatured: macho dad; batty mother; bully boy; wacky friend ('I'm positive this character was made up, and put in the film to counter the greyness of everyone else).Thirdly, and this will probably go amiss to non-UK residents, but Paul was born and raised in Port Talbot, Wales, but he has a Bristol, English accent! It's like a man born and raised in New York having a Texas accent. It's a little weird.Finally, and only because the list is almost infinite, light rock-pop dominates the soundtrack, and confusingly conflicts with the operatic theme of the film.So, if you want to spend 103 minutes watching a lot of uncharismatic 'non-steely' people simply 'milling' around all day, in an overly long mobile phone advert (and listen to 'Nessun Dorma' one more time), this is the film for you.