Peter McGinn

I am guessing that the movie B & B emerged quietly into the sunlight when it was first released and then faded away, for there is not much information out there about it and no discernible reviews. It is not a memorable film, but neither is it mediocre. Though rather predictable in places with characters that tended towards being two-dimensional, it was just entertaining enough to keep me watching. Plus I have seen Kevin Whately in other things and liked him, as well as Ian McNeice, who of course shines more recently in Doc Martin. The plot concerning a man and daughter holding onto their house when someone unscrupulous wants it for their own purposes almost dates back to when villains tied victims to railroad tracks (”You must pay the rent!” “But I can’t pay the rent!”) But it also includes a type of character of more recent origin: the young child who in some ways seems more intelligent and mature than the adults in the room. My favorite character was Billy Golden, a quirky resident/employee in the B & B who was played by Katy Murphy, an actress who achieved a fair bit of attention for a couple of roles over the years, but who almost acted as a hobby, preferring her teaching job. The ending and the final act of the villain seemed over the top to me. If he thought he could get away with it, perhaps villains haven’t progressed all that much since their train track tying days. So nothing special or awful here. If you like the actors or are curious about why it has received so little attention though rated fairly well, as I was drawn to it, then give it a look, if you can find it.