Sightseers 2012 (Dir. Ben Wheatley)
This film has been on my “must watch” list since its release in 2012 and last night I finally got to see it! I was anticipating another quirky comedy from director Ben Wheatley and wasn’t disappointed, but what a surprise to find that I had a little something in common with one of the lead characters.
“If the caravans a rockin’, don’t come knocking.”
This one liner from British movie Sightseers, written by co-stars Alice Lowe and Steve Oram is a great clue to what’s in store for the viewer. Yes, there was raunchy stuff a-plenty, but far more importantly for me; there were lots of wonderful knitting references throughout the film. Sightseers was released to fairly mixed reviews – movie bloggers either loved it or rather unfairly slated it as being very juvenile. It wasn’t perfect, but I found myself hooked once it became apparent that Tina, the female lead character, was an avid knitter!
Don’t bother seeking out this low budget British movie if you don’t like very dark comedy – think Fast Show meets Natural Born Killers, add a splash of Woman’s Weekly (circa 1968) or Elizabeth Zimmerman and you will be somewhere close to understanding what’s in store.
If you are in any way squeamish (there’s a lot of brutal killing involved), are offended by filthy language, or squirm at graphic sexual references (there’s plenty of both), then fast-forward to the knitting bits, they are worth spotting. Err, having said that, the knitting bits and the sex and violence were rather inextricably linked. The first taster came in a flash back to how Tina’s beloved dog “Poppy” met its maker – a stark warning not to leave your giant knitting needles on the sofa!
There were plenty of knitted knick-knacks in the film – both on show in their touring caravan and at Tina’s mother’s house. However, my favourite knitted piece by far had to be the wonderful woolen split crotch bikini pants, which Tina had made especially for her first holiday with new boyfriend Chris, for when they were in the mood for a “mint”.
There were moments in the film where Tina was seen knitting something featuring a yellow triangle motif, which turned out to be a sweater for her beloved Chris. She was obviously a very prolific knitter as she had it finished in time for Chris to wear in the brilliant final scene filmed at Ribblehead Viaduct, which (spoiler alert!) was a bit of a nod to road movie Thelma and Louise.
Popular literature and culture have given us many famous knitters; Madame Defarge of Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities fame has to be my all-time favourite, but this film has given us a new malevolent knitter in the shape of Alice Lowe’s character Tina.
Welcome to the knitters’ Hall of Fame, Tina. Keep the skills alive!
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