Richard Hasenfuss - DVD

Film: While Richard (Eddie Marsan) gets little respect at his job in a hardware store and is therefore not really happy, he really comes alive as Readmund the Just in re-enacted Viking battles. Too bad this obsession has cost him his marriage to his wife Cath (Jessica Hynes). Even his son Martin is more ashamed of his sword-wielding dad than looking up to him in admiration. But Richard realizes that reenacting battles is not enough. He must fight for his marriage. Even if that means taking off his Viking helmet forever.

With Richard Hasenfuss, director Vito Rocco delivers a likable and very charming feature-length debut. The story, which is quite simple in itself, is endearingly told and spiced with some original ideas. For example, the viewer learns about the erotic effect the Klingon language can have. The humor of the film is overall rather quiet, but some moments provide some louder laughs. But what really makes the film work are the wonderfully drawn characters. Richard's friends from the Bloody Broadswords in particular are a really likeable bunch precisely because of their quirkiness. Julian, portrayed by Ewen Bremner (Trainspotting) particularly stands out. His somewhat awkwardly unfolding relationship with single mother Maggie (Bronagh Gallagher) is undoubtedly one of the best aspects of the film.

But also a very nice surprise is Eddie Marsan as the title character, Richard. Marsan, who has made a name for himself as a character actor in recent years especially with rather unlikable roles in films like Happy-Go-Lucky, Hancock, Sherlock Holmes, and Tyrannosaur, plays the lovable jerk pleasantly against his image. Even though Richard is a rather sad character, especially at the beginning of the film, who puts his foot in his mouth, it is still almost impossible not to take him to your heart right away.

Despite a few minor dramaturgical hangs and a couple of scenes that don't quite work, Richard Hasenfuss still manages to fully convince in the end. From the burial of an owl at sea to Richard's desperate attempt to reconstruct the first date with his wife to the big duel with his rival, the film has quite a few nice gags and charming moments to offer, which make the film absolutely recommendable for lovers of British comedies in the style of Ganz oder gar nicht.

Picture + Sound: Since only a data-reduced press sample was available for testing, no information can be given about the final picture and sound quality at this point.

Extras: Also the bonus material could not be sighted on the press DVD. Announced are interviews, MySpace casting videos and the film's MySpace pitch.

Conclusion: Richard Hasenfuss is a charming comedy that scores with typical British humor, some original ideas, lovable characters and with a lot of heart. If you like little social comedies from England in the style of All or Nothing, you will also quickly take Richard Hasenfuss to your heart. Recommendable

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp