Director: David Thewlis
Starring: David Thewlis, Lisa Gorman, Sean Ward, Rosalind Knight, Linda Kerr Scott, Eddie Marsan, Mark Benton, John Henshaw

- Reviewed by Vickie

Actor David Thewlis proves he’s just as adept behind the camera as he is in front of it with this alternately touching and downright wacky comedy-drama that he wrote, directed and stars in, about a grieving husband and father who puts his sorrow aside to...appear on a game show?

Yep, a game show.

Unknowingly signed up to participate by his beloved late wife—who’s recently died in a tragic house fire—Harry Sankey (Thewlis) is tapped by producers of the game show "Cheeky" (which combines trivia questions with an insult-off where contestants try to be the cheekiest) to appear on the program. Hesitant at first, and still struggling to reconnect with his equally grief-stricken son (Sean Ward) while coping with his own sadness, Harry reluctantly agrees.

The story follows Harry through various emotional transitions as he deals with his loss via what might be considered his wife’s last wish. He moves from the dark and shattered world of his wife’s passing to the (literally) technicolor madness of a loopy television show. Along the way, he meets Nancy (Trudie Styler), who shares his late wife’s name and provides a blissfully ignorant counterbalance to his sombre outlook. She doesn’t know his history, so his baggage isn’t addressed with her.

Smartly written and terrifically acted, Cheeky is an examination of coping mechanisms in the face of tragedy, combined with a warm-hearted and, at times, riotously silly take on life. The actors skillfully move back and forth between making the audience want to cry and making them want to laugh out loud. Emotions seep through in small moments, happy or sad, so it never feels manufactured and I never once thought, "Okay, that’s clearly intended to wring out my tears."

Thewlis builds a wonderful community of quirky characters, from the over-the-top game-show host to Nancy’s kooky (and LOUD!) best friend, and creates a comforting (if unconventional) family to surround the main players. The performances are solid, the story is sweetly moving and the film is a colorful little gem.

Nice work, David.

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