“Joe
Maddison’s War” is a BBC movie that is about an average Joe on the home front
in WWII Britain. It starts during the
Battle of Britain and tracks Maddison’s (Kevin Whately) through his soap opera
life impacted a little by the war.
Maddison
is a veteran of WWI, but as his son tells him:
“This is my generation’s war.” He
works in a shipyard and brings his lunch in a paper box on a string. He’s a sad sack. His is wife leaves him. Who wouldn’t?
After the first bombing raid, he and his friend Harry (Robson Green)
join the Home Guard. Harry is a cynical
wisecracker. When Joe meets a comely
lass named Selina, he will eventually have to make a choice between her and his
wife who returns with a daughter. This
decision will take a few years as the movie draws it out for no particular
reason. Meanwhile, Joe and Harry become
anti-aircraft gunners with no training.
They don’t need it as they shoot down the first bomber they aim at! Harry gets in some trouble with a snooty
officer, but at least something finally happens. Unfortunately, there isn’t a whole lot else
that happens in this languid movie.
I
would best describe this movie as inconsequential. It has a good cast and they do their best,
but there is only a bone to gnaw on.
There is no meat to the story. It
is a series of boring vignettes. I will
give it credit for being unpredictable, but that’s because I would not have
predicted that over a four year period in the war, basically nothing of
cinematic interest would happen. By the
way, don’t watch it if you are a Catholic.
Maddison lost his religion in WWI.
He goes against his local priest’s admonition to save his marriage. When his wife leaves, he takes down her
crucifix.
GRADE = D
