Directed by Meg Leonard and Nick Moorcoft, Fisherman’s Friends: One and All is a British comedy drama film that is a sequel to the 2019 film Fisherman’s Friends and stars James Purefoy, Imelda May, and Richard Harrington.
Taking off where the last film left off, Fisherman’s Friends: One and All follows the next part of the now famous singing sea shanty group. The group has finished their second album, but their record label is hesitant to release the album after some scandalous behaviour involving members of the group.
Jim (James Purefoy) is grieving the death of his father and fellow band member by getting drunk and isn’t enjoying being famous after living a quiet life which eventually results in Jim quitting the group. But when a once in a lifetime opportunity presents itself to play at the Glastonbury Festival, the group try get Jim back in the band. Jim is reluctant to rejoin the group as he doesn’t like new member of the band and his father’s replacement, Morgan (Richard Harrington) and he starts a new romance with Aubrey (Imelda May) who is a disgraced pop star trying to move somewhere quiet to avoid the limelight.
I thoroughly enjoyed the first Fisherman’s Friends film, so I was excited to find out that there was going to be a sequel, but I have to admit that I was a little bit sceptical as I thought the first film told the group’s story well. I wasn’t aware that there was more to the Fisherman’s Friends story than what was shown in the first film.
Much like the first film, I found their story to be fun yet inspiring and while I would say that this film isn’t as strong as the first one, as it lacks a little bit of the excitement of watching the group becoming famous, it is still an enjoyable viewing experience from start to finish.
Like the first feature, I enjoyed the filming locations in this sequel as it is set in Port Isaac in Cornwall which is a small town by the sea that I appreciated as I find small seaside towns to be beautiful and generally the people from those towns have a lot of charm, much like the characters in the film do. Fisherman’s Friends: One and All is nothing fancy on a technical level but relies on strong acting performances from its actors and a story with a lot of depth, heart, and humour. It was reassuring to see that most of the original cast from the first film had returned, but newcomers Imelda May and Richard Harrington also fit right in with the rest of the cast.
I’m not sure what the future holds for the Fisherman’s Friends but if they have any other inspiring story from their history that could be adapted into a third film, I wouldn’t be opposed to another movie. But if this is it, then this sequel is indeed a satisfying end to their cinematic journey.
The Fisherman’s Friends movies have also given me a new appreciation for sea shanty music which I never thought to listen to before. I like the traditional folk music mixed with the sing-along elements, making it enjoyable and fun to listen to.
Fisherman’s Friends: One and All is a film full of good natured humour and heartfelt sentimental moments that the whole family can enjoy. I highly recommend Fisherman’s Friends: One and All if you enjoyed the first film or if you need a good light-hearted comedy to watch.
Fisherman’s Friends: One and All will be showing nationwide as part of the British Film Festival from the 19th of October to the 16th of November 2022.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://britishfilmfestival.com.au