Film

Three And Out

Cert: 15

Description: London underground driver Paul Callow is shell-shocked when a passenger accidentally falls on the track in front of his train. A few days later, a heart attack victim suffers the same fate and Paul is surprised to learn from colleagues Vic and Ash about an unspoken rule: if a driver witnesses three accidental deaths within the space of one month, he is immediately pensioned off with 10 years' salary as a farewell gift to help cope with the emotional turmoil. The cogs of Paul's febrile imagination whir into action and he hatches a daring plan to find someone willing to throw themselves under his train for the money.

Evening Standard rating

Reader rating

Your rating

Click on a star to rate

Dir: Jonathan Gershfield.

Cast: Mackenzie Crook, Colm Meaney, Imelda Staunton, Gemma Arterton

Country: UK.

Year: 2008.

Duration: 106mins

Three and Out's biggest crime? It’s dreadful

Taking the lead: Mackenzie Crook stars in the film

Liz Hoggard, Evening Standard 22 Apr 2008

ASLEF want to ban it. The producers claim it is edgy black comedy. So is it really offensive? Well arguably Three And Out’s greatest crime is that it is just a very bad British movie.

Starring Mackenzie Crook as a Tube driver looking for a volunteer to jump under his train and commit suicide so that he can receive a pay-off and never work again, it’s amateurish, sitcom fare.

Clearly the timing is unfortunate. We’re still reeling from three horrific rail accidents — two couples arguing on the track resulted in fatalities; an art teacher walking across the line got her shoe caught and was run down. Sensitivities are heightened. If you work in a frontline job trying to keep people alive — or dealing with the fallout of depression — this is not going to have you rolling in the aisles. But, frankly, can anyone defend such a lazy fantasy about manslaughter? Of course it’s the role of cutting-edge art to make us confront taboos about death. American film and TV is enviably daring in its treatment of gothic sensibilities (think Dexter, American Beauty or Six Feet Under). But who can defend Three And Out’s puerile jokes about the Samaritans, cannibalism, knocking off old folks and penis size? There is no big concept behind the nastiness. The film starts playing for laughs, segues into Oirish sentimentality as Crook encounters suicidal Colm Meaney and his extended family, then delivers a final dodgy blast of existentialism. Our hero is even rewarded for his actions by getting the girl and writing a hit novel.

The blaring soundtrack, which includes Elvis Costello’s Accidents Will Happen and Blondie’s One Way Or Another, is in the height of bad taste.

The mystery is why some of Britain’s finest character actors including Crook, Meaney, Antony Sher and Imelda Staunton ,whose subtle performance as an abandoned wife seems to come from another film altogether, got caught up in this mess. Who let the script get this far? Arguably the producers are lucky they aroused any controversy at all. Otherwise this film would die on its feet.

It’s been a great 18 months for British cinema with This Is England, Control and Son Of Rambow but Three And Out made me despair.

Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.

Reader views (9)

Add your view

I saw it last night, there were only ten people in the cinema (Bluewater) and two of them walked out half way through. Need I say more!

- Chris, Swanley, Kent, 29/04/2008 17:11
Report abuse

Colm Meaney is British is he? That's news to me.
Funny that, if he was a rubbish actor he'd be labelled Irish.

- Sid, London, 25/04/2008 17:30
Report abuse

As most people say, this is a comedy. There have been lots of comedies about tragic things over the years and no one is getting so up in arms about it as the unions. Unions really should have better things to do with their time than critique comedy films.

- Delphi, London, 24/04/2008 15:35
Report abuse

Working in an office, I'm offended by the 18-cert film "Secretary" and I'm going on strike, so there.

- Louise, Doncaster, UK, 24/04/2008 15:21
Report abuse

"A strike is needed to show LU they cannot joke about their staff". Oh, please! Just what we need, another completely unnecessary, self indulgent strike by overpaid, lazy workers who can hold customers to ransom whenever they want, and often do so.

- Louis, London, 22/04/2008 20:33
Report abuse

Anthony, how will a strike help anyone, the point has been made by the controversy caused and protests at the première. The only people to lose from a strike are passengers and staff who lose the days wages. I also work for London Underground and agree the film was in bad taste, but how can we expect any empathy from fellow Londoners if a strike is threatened every time we feel offended.

- Al, London, 22/04/2008 19:29
Report abuse

It's a comedy. Slate it if it isn't funny, but I don't see why unions should strike over a film which is supposed to be tongue in cheek, which most of them probably haven't seen, and which would have been made with out without TFL cooperation.

- Tubetraveller, London, UK, 22/04/2008 16:41
Report abuse

I think this review says it all Anthony, the film will soon be forgotten about! No need to cause more strife to long suffering commuters.

- Helen, London, 22/04/2008 15:50
Report abuse

Aslef, The RMT and the TSSA should come together and strike over this despicable film. LU should never have allowed it to be shot on their premises. A strike is needed to show LU they cannot joke about their staff.

- Anthony, Surrey, 22/04/2008 12:49
Report abuse