Movie Review: ‘Cemetery Junction’

Although nicely acted and directed, “Cemetery Junction” is a thoroughly unremarkable coming-of-age dramedy that’s barely distinguished by its 1973 England setting or by its name supporting cast. Not surprisingly, the film will be on DVD shelves mid-month.

Co-written and co-directed by frequent collaborators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant (“The Office,” HBO’s “Extras”), this memory piece nominally revolves around a mismatched trio of 20-ish mates navigating young adulthood in their working-class suburb of Cemetery Junction, a town that seems way more acceptable than its crummy reputation here implies. Of these friends, Freddie (Christian Cooke) is the ambitious one, Bruce (Tom Hughes) is the cocky hothead and Snork (Jack Doolan) is the duncey man-child. Their issues and antics — individually and as a group — are, to say the least, perfunctory.

Just slightly more interesting are Freddie’s dealings with his smug, insurance company boss, Mr. Kendrick ( Ralph Fiennes); Kendrick’s wise, long-suffering wife ( Emily Watson); and the couple’s idealistic daughter — and, conveniently, Freddie’s grade-school sweetheart — Julie (Felicity Jones). Then there’s Julie’s smarmy fiancé, Mike ( Matthew Goode), who also works for Kendrick. You can pretty much predict how they’ll all end up just by reading this.

Gervais, effective in a small role as Freddie’s bigoted, factory-worker dad, Len, is perhaps the only real surprise here (beyond a comic moment at the expense of Elton John). While his character’s droll asides may summon the actor’s more familiar persona, he brings a swift, late-breaking poignancy to the earthy part that feels new.

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