Making Waves (2004)

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

There's no way I can possibly love it entirely but I just think its ridiculously bad, but enjoyable at the same time.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This movie might have been acceptable had the plot concerned people meeting and talking in a bar, on an internet forum or chat room, etc., but the movie's depiction of this happening via ham (amateur) radio was flawed in many respects.Most importantly, the foul language in the film is virtually NEVER heard on the ham bands. In fact it is expressly prohibited by law and any ham who used these words on the air would soon find him/herself heavily fined. If the language persisted, the ham's license would likely be revoked.Secondly, the idea of a non-ham just picking up a microphone and beginning to chat is ludicrous. Again, this is expressly forbidden by law. Furthermore, this "bootlegging", as it's called in the ham community, is very frowned upon and hams as well as the authorities will go out of their way to identify and stop such rogue operation. For that matter, an unlicensed and untrained person would almost certainly find it impossible to operate complex ham radio equipment.There are other more minor problems.... Ham calls (their call signs or call letters) are given at least every 10 minutes. And hams don't establish contact by calling out names (or nicknames) as is common in Citizens Band operation. Hams call each other using their officially granted call signs -- again, it's the law. After contact is established, user nicknames will be used, but they don't replace the ham calls.The above may seem picky, but hams study hard to get their licenses, and it's just offensive to see the ham service portrayed as it is in this film. So to any hams who might have thought of seeing or buying this film, you might want to pass it by. And to all non-hams, know that what this film shows is largely bunk.The biggest shame of all is that they COULD have so easily got everything right without hurting the plot or the appeal of the movie. In fact, had they just dropped the totally unneeded four letter words, the movie would have been more accurate as well as more entertaining to a wider audience. As for the ham radio part, all they had to do was to ask just one ACTUAL ham for a tiny amount of advice! Very sad.

How refreshing it is to see a great little film about real everyday people facing the dilemmas we are all familiar with, the insecurities, the search for acceptance and the ultimate pursuit of contentment, companionship and love. A great deal sweeter, more satisfying and touching than watching aristocratic baffoons stuck in the, oh so tricky existence of the west London elite! Equally touching is the story behind the film it would seem, I see that the director lost his battle with cancer just a year after shooting was finished never getting to witness his first films release, a real tragedy. He has left behind a debut to relish. Robert Hardy turns in a great performance as always with all the warmth and charm you would expect. Craig Henderson and Susie Benton make a delightful duo, while Tom Bacon, better known for harder, darker roles, makes a hilariously calamitous sidekick. All in all a great ensemble of talent. I highly recommend this little triumph against the odds, an independent British film achieving the release it richly deserves, I guess the industry in the UK isn't dead yet!

Engaging performances by a bunch of up and comers elevate this above and beyond what one expects of it. Kind of a cross between a Richard Curtis comedy and an indie adventure, the story takes place in the wilds of London's Blackheath, and represents it fairly. Although it does serves to show an idealised English community - careening dangerously in the direction of twee at times - it does serve to show that there are difficulties in reaching one to one communications these days. It challenges, though in a view askew, the challenges / solutions provided by mediums like the Internet. Though certainly not as gruesomely as Cronenberg's CRASH :) Saw this at Cannes 2005, and the audience seemed as into it as was I. Ultimately, sweet, and involving, and that Susan Benton. What a treat! More please...

Although the whole radio community stretching to outer space thing could be seen as quite unbelievable (who knows, maybe this goes on!), the characters in making waves were frustrated, yet ultimately honest guys striving to get their break - something that many of us can sympathise with. The slightly off wall backdrop certainly put this film in a separate category to the usual Brit-flick romance films.I thought that the film flowed in a dream-like manner - by that I mean, once the story started it absorbed you to the very end, and definitely created a feel-good factor. I suppose that there are those who wouldn't like this story - namely pessimists, but for everyone else it's definitely worth it.