This Year's Love (Under rated British film) - 1999

Just watched British film "This Year's Love" for the first time in years.  This was always a real favourite of mine and vastly under rated in my opinion.  I'm not sure many people I know actually really liked, enjoyed or even ever saw the film and it certainly wasn't a huge commercial success at the time.

Written and directed by David Kane - the film features an impressive ensemble cast featuring the likes of Kathy Burke, Dougray Scott, Ian Hart, Jennifer Ehle, Douglas Henshall and Catherine McCormack. 

Original theatrical poster (1999).

The film also features British singer/songwriter (unsigned at the time) and chart topper David Gray as the lead singer in a pub band, I was then immediately hooked on Gray's voice and music after watching this film at the cinema - which, by the way, I watched on my lonesome at the old Odeon at The Stack Leisure Park in Dundee, Scotland with barely half a dozen other people in the auditorium also.

David Gray in cameo role.

The film is set and filmed almost entirely on location, in and around the trendy Camden Town area of North London and centres around the lives of 6 people over the course of 3 years and their relationships and how their lives intertwine with one another.

Camden Town - London, England.

Funny, sad, at times tense, touching and with a lot of heart - I think the reason I love this film so much is that it has a realistic, contemporary quality to it and I can relate in many ways with the lead characters as they are all flawed, real and humane. 

Scottish actor Dougray Scott as artist Cameron.

The film also boasts a great soundtrack too, which is always a good thing; including the film's opening number; Welsh band Stereophonics'  "Just Looking".  I really liked the song and, at the time, I actually thought that it was a new song from Bryan Adams as I felt Kelly Jones' voice resembled him a little and I hadn't actually heard Stereophonics' music before watching This Year's Love.

 The film also captures a time and place (mid to late 90s, pre-millennium) that I feel is rather long gone now, which pretty much makes this film now a period piece.  There was an energy and buzz around London and Britain at that time.  I can relate so much to this film in almost all the characters in different ways, being a young adult trying to find and feel my way in the real world. 

At the end of the day, the film is really entertaining, makes me smile and you just have a really good time with it - which is why we watch films, isn't it?  To be entertained.  Check it out if you can.

Trailer: https://youtu.be/Wwq5gQCgbE8