'At the height of WWII', the remote Outer Hebridean island of Todday (IRL Portsoy, near Aberdeen) runs out of whisky. Then, the RMS Cabinet Minister is wrecked, with a cargo of 50,000 cases of whisky and the abdicated King Edward VIII's love letters on board. The islanders band together to thwart attempts by the local Home Guard commander and customs to find the bottles. Also, the postmaster's two beautiful daughters are getting married and need whisky for the celebrations. (Cue idyllic Celtfest wedding scene)
WG is beautiful to look at, the sense of period is pretty good, and once you get used to the slow pace and lack of any LOL moments, it passes the time quite pleasantly. Don't expect anything more. The shipwreck is quite a while in coming, and the raid on the wreck has to wait for Sunday to pass. Towards the end there's a car chase at about 20mph.
My two problems with WG are (1) the number of characters whose stories all seem to to be of the same importance - there's no central character like Bombolini in 'The Secret of Santa Vittoria', and (2) the sanitised, prosperous, oh-so-comfortable lifestyle they all enjoy. In the wedding scene, there are dozens of lights strung over the square. Where, I might ask, does a remote Scottish island in the middle of WWII get all that power from? Where do they all get the petrol for their jaunts everywhere? There's absolutely no sense of the islanders having any hardship at all. All that's at stake is two minor characters' weddings, and the free whisky. Not much to hang a drama on.
Also, Gregor Fisher and Eddie Izzard ham it up. Some may find this funny.
WG is beautiful to look at, the sense of period is pretty good, and once you get used to the slow pace and lack of any LOL moments, it passes the time quite pleasantly. Don't expect anything more. The shipwreck is quite a while in coming, and the raid on the wreck has to wait for Sunday to pass. Towards the end there's a car chase at about 20mph.
My two problems with WG are (1) the number of characters whose stories all seem to to be of the same importance - there's no central character like Bombolini in 'The Secret of Santa Vittoria', and (2) the sanitised, prosperous, oh-so-comfortable lifestyle they all enjoy. In the wedding scene, there are dozens of lights strung over the square. Where, I might ask, does a remote Scottish island in the middle of WWII get all that power from? Where do they all get the petrol for their jaunts everywhere? There's absolutely no sense of the islanders having any hardship at all. All that's at stake is two minor characters' weddings, and the free whisky. Not much to hang a drama on.
Also, Gregor Fisher and Eddie Izzard ham it up. Some may find this funny.