Tunnel of Love (2004) Online

I have always been a fan of Jack Dee, in particular his deadpan delivery in his stand-up, so I was very excited when I heard about his TV venture 'Tunnel of Love'. I was certainly not disappointed. Jack uses his unique style of comedy mixed with enough emotion and vulnerability to play the unlucky in love fairground owner Roy Phelps. It was a completely different side to Jack, and with an equally strong performance from Josephine Butler as Roy's love interest the drama fulfilled and raised my expectations. The comic timing of the script was perfect, especially with the unusual mix of fairground staff! I hope to see Jack in similar projects in the near future, even a complete series of 'Tunnel of Love', although only if it stars Dee and is written by the incredibly talented Simon Nye.

Comedians without jokes or good scripts make for dull viewing. 'Tunnel of Love' is a mess from start to finish. The plot is laboured and the characters colourless. Direction is poor, sometimes sending the struggling cast on fairground rides to distract the viewer's attention from the banality of the dialogue.

There were fewer funny moments than in a single Benny Hill or Paul Hogan show, and you can't get much direr than that. As I watched with increasing boredom, I wondered why anyone had bothered to make such a tedious film. If, as the previous reviewer speculated, this was a pilot for a possible series, thank goodness the plug was pulled.

You'll have more fun snoozing or washing dishes than watching this.

I suspect that this film originated as an introductory pilot for a TV show that never passed the credibility test.

The main plot is fine .... fairground going broke .... with lots of opportunity for a number of episodes as the lad gets out of trouble in Arthur Daley style. But somewhere along the line it seems to get lost in a number of improbable sub-plots.

The character of his oversexed oppo who attempts to trail one of the many folks who are suing the fairground is beyond belief.

Given a little more serious treatment and confined to one major plot line this movie had potential both in its own right and as a forerunner of a series.

As it is .... it fails.