Movie Review: Phantom of the Open

I never knew about the real life exploits of Maurice Flitcroft until I sat down to watch Phantom of the Open. In retrospect however I'm glad this was my main conduit to learn about this ordinary man's amazing life from crane operator in Barrow-in-Furness to famed golfer across the world. Directed by Craig Roberts and starring an all star cast including Mark Rylance in the lead role; this film does a wonderful job of showcasing a life well lived by a man who constantly aimed for the stars.

The narrative of Phantom of the Open follows family man Maurice Flitcroft who after facing redundancy from his work down on the shipyards, decides to fulfil his dream of being a professional golfer by entering into the qualifying tourney in the 1976 grand open. This journey proves to be less that successful however, as Maurice ends up breaking records in scoring the worst score possible during the qualifying rounds. Becoming infamous, the film follows Maurice and his family as they face the after effects of the fame Maurice drew onto himself and how he continues to try and win the open throughout the years.

One thing I loved about this story is how compelling and heartfelt a narrative it is. A lot of that emotion and appeal is cantered around Maurice himself. Mark Rylance plays this honest and inspiring man with so much heart and levity that you just can't help but root for him despite all his failures. Maurice faces adversity throughout every part of his journey to take on the grand open, but he takes it all in his stride and never gives up. Seeing the extent Maurice goes to to try and prove himself to the world despite his obvious lack of skill is what keeps you engaged so easily in the film. On the other side there's also an incredibly poignant element to the life Maurice tries to inspire in his family and friends. Maurice's love for his children and his wife is showcased in the sacrifice of his own dreams up to this point. He constantly encourages the hopes of those around him and by deciding to follow his own goals despite the barriers it helps reflect a truly emotional and endearing relationship this family has with one another. 

A major part of what makes the film work for me is the tone. I love how consistently funny this film is while also balancing a wonderful sense of levity and emotion on top of it as well. The laughs behind it  feel smartly written too, there's a lot of great jokes layered throughout the story that had me and the rest of the people in the cinemas laughing over and over. That emotional side also comes into the mix beautifully too. Like I said a lot of the emotions tied behind the film is projected through it's characters and the brilliant cast who portray them. No doubt about it Mark Rylance steals the show with the main portrayal, but Sally Hawkins, Rhys Ifans, Jake Davies, Christian and Jonah Lees all stand out in this film too. 

Phantom of the Open is an wonderfully fun and charming film to sit through. It feels like one of those films that is simply out to give you a fun and heartfelt experience. One thing that I really appreciate about this film too is it's written by Simon Farnaby and directed by Craig Roberts who I know both from my childhood watching tv shows like Horrible Histories and Tracy Beaker. It's so nice to see these people develop from these shows and work together to create this brilliant film. I would happily recommend this film to anyone looking for a good time.