(spoiler free)
You might recognise Maxine Peake from the recent season of ‘Black Mirror’. She starred in the black and white episode ‘Metalhead’, an episode completely devoid of laughs and one not particularly well received. Peake’s performance was one of the only saving graces for many viewers. However, her latest role couldn’t be further from her stint on the critically acclaimed television series. She’s gone from fighting robot death dogs to maneuvering the comedy club circuit in North England through the 1970s & 80s.
‘Funny Cow’ tells the story of a female comedian, played by Peake, who reflects on her life and career after some time in the business. The narrative plays out in a non-linear fashion and whilst this is a somewhat whimsical approach it doesn’t appear to have much real purpose and comes across as little more than a gimmick. Furthermore, the jumping to and from different era’s of our main character’s life only gives the film a lack of momentum and focus. Ultimately it damages the pacing for the film and and at times to a degree makes it feel tedious Nonetheless there is an abundance of great individual moments throughout the film that almost completely make up for this. The comedy both in terms of the content of the stand-up material and then just that of the narrative itself is often very funny and offers a variety of humour. In addition to this there are some truly harrowing emotional scenes which really put the characters lives into perspective and create a stark contrast to the lighthearted atmosphere during the comedy performances.
Maxine Peake is wonderful in the leading role and wholly convincing as a stand up comic, she’s a likeable on stage presence and if she was a comic in real life I’m sure she’d succeed. Her character is so resilient and Peake demonstrates this very well whilst also highlighting her vulnerabilities giving an accomplished performance of a fascinating character. Amongst her numerous co-stars is the brilliant Paddy Considine who plays, book store owner, theatre loving and all round fan of high culture, Angus who is somewhat of a love interest for the titular ‘Funny Cow’. The writing of his character pushes the the limit of the audiences’ belief at times but I feel this was almost the point. There was meant to be a striking contrast between the personalities and as a result there were some rather comical scenes crafted. The film is full of other really great performances too showcasing an especially strong supporting cast. It’s a shame that at times the direction of the extras seemed rigid and staged. It’s a minor issue but one that becomes noticeable due to the pacing problems. However, much like the strength of the individual moments within the narrative the powerful performances of the cast are what will be remembered here.
With a more definite focus and tighter story-telling ‘Funny Cow’ could have been an undisputed comedy drama classic however its failure to give its full attention to just one aspect of the main character’s life holds it back from its full potential. Despite this the film is still definitely worth your while. It features some cracking comedy and will break you down on several occasions with the raw emotion it has running through its veins. Maxine Peake is a joy to watch and is actually so good that she almost entirely steals the spotlight from the rest of her ridiculously talented co-stars. Ultimately, ‘Funny Cow’ has a great punchline but shaky delivery.
Written by Hamish Calvert
Rating – 7/10
Question: Who is your favourite female comedy film star?
(Leave your answers in the comments section below!)
Thanks for reading this review and please let us know what you thought about the movie! Leave a comment below or drop us a tweet over at @HCMovieReviews.
HCMovieReviews 
Leave a comment