Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This (2014)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Just perfect...

How sad is this?

Absolutely Fantastic

The 1980s were unkind to some of our beloved post World War 2 comedians. Morecambe & Wise ceased to be funny when they moved away from the BBC. Frankie Howard and Tommy Cooper had shows on ITV in the early 1980s but they were a laughter free zone. In fact Cooper only got a positive buzz when he made a rare BBC appearance on Seaside Special where he did his hat routine.Tommy Cooper who unfortunately collapsed live on TV was a unique comedian and a very talented conjurer. A few years after his death his mistress went public with their long term affair. Some years later other comedians such as Bob Monkhouse told stories of his drinking and violent temper.This bio-pic starts with a common story (in fact something I myself have done) of a man going to a bazaar in Turkey, putting on a fez and shouting 'just like that.'David Threlfall with added make up does a good impression of Cooper although he is a bit thin. Cooper was physically imposing. The film deals with his tightness, his drinking, the tempestuous relationship with his wife and his affair with his mistress. The prolonged recreation of his death on a TV show felt like a mis-step to me.Good performances but nothing out of the ordinary like the bio-pics of comedians we have had on BBC4 in recent years where we delved into the dark heart of the subject.

There have been a raft of biopics of bygone British comedians over the last ten years, some excellent. Many forget to, or fail to, impart the humour and joy that the subjects brought in the first place. Sometimes there seems to a keenness to deliver the 'dark side' of the jester too bluntly.'Not Like That, Like This' tells a strong story that isn't at all diluted by the prominence of the daft and delightful comedy of the man in the centre of it, Tommy Cooper. It's clear all the way along why audiences loved the man who could come on, say nothing and have them collapsing with laughter. He had a complicated life and it's well told through a brilliant performance by David Threlfall, who grasps the physicality of the six-foot-four comic as well as his mannerisms and captivating delivery. The rest of the cast, fronted by Amanda Redman as his strong-headed and driven wife Dove and Helen McCrory as his mild-but-adoring mistress Mary, fill it out to a very solid programme.Obviously it'll be a little less relevant to those who didn't know of Tommy Cooper but the story doesn't rely on prior knowledge so you'll lose nothing from it if you're coming into it cold.

It was like watching Tommy himself. Scenes onstage were bit for bit the exact same as those by the original - which is no small feat to mimic a man's comic timing, posture, facial expressions, voice, and all round charisma. I personally think it's one of the best biopics made in a long long time, I thoroughly enjoyed it. If there isn't a BAFTA somewhere for this I'll be thoroughly disappointed.The core 3 cast members were spectacular as a performance, and obviously Cooper's wife and mistress weren't in the public eye as much so we can't really say how accurate their portrayal is, but the dramatic impact they had in relation to Cooper in this is perfect.Seriously, just so impressed by this performance.

This depiction wasn't very good,very strained acting from all the cast.The one playing Tommy was stretching a,short not funny comic impression to the point of tedium.The son was terrible,the wife,a short glib repetitively portrayal in every scene of her,the mistress i got nothing from whatsoever ,cold performance ...the agent just boring ,the other comic legends seem tacked on... tommy crying all the time ,rubbish(an ex army man of that generation ha!).The sets also had loads of modern things in the backgrounds that didn't fit,1990 phone box,modern day fire alarms and health and safety signs to name a few .It just didn't have the sense of being set in the 70 s/80 s..Cooper was made out, just to be a skinflint pi@@head women beater. It really was a dire portrayal made up from tittle tattle and without a well written script...really lazily done by itv. All very one dimensional,i didn't believe the story,characters or the script.......p s cooper is always portrayed as tight(and he may have not throw his money about) but he did give my dad(a porter at euston railway station)a 8 shilling tip in 1968........