One Chance
The first, but probably not the last, biopic about a reality TV winner.
Overview
As I settled down in Event Cinemas to see Once Chance, I didn't realise I'd also be seeing my mother's cinematic debut. But more on that later. A British film directed by David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada) and written by Justin Zackham (The Bucket List), One Chance is based on the true story of Paul Potts, a shop assistant and amateur opera singer who won Britain's Got Talent in 2007.
It's a kind of hero's journey meets love story, with Potts' marriage to wife Julie-Ann (Alexandra Roach) at the core. Her patience and loyalty sustains him through a seemingly unending amount of bad luck. As does his love of opera.
The film opens with Potts' troubled childhood and ends with his first audition for Britain's Got Talent, now a YouTube favourite, where he sang Nessun Dorma so beautifully he received a standing ovation, judges cried and even Simon Cowell beamed.
Before we get to the happy ending, things get pretty dark. There's his bully-ridden childhood. Then there's his dysfunctional relationship with his father, his financial struggles, his chronic self-doubt (enforced by no less than Pavarotti in one of the film's most painful scenes) and his ill health, from bicycle accidents to appendicitis to cancer. Even the setting of Port Talbot is depressing.
But without depicting the struggle, the film's final scenes wouldn't be quite as moving. We wouldn't appreciate how glorious a victory this was for Potts, the eternal underdog. I just wish we could have had a bit longer to bask in it before the credits started rolling.
James Corden was an unusual casting choice. He's known for his cheeky, brash confidence, and at times you can almost feel him holding back. But for the most part he succeeded in giving a believable performance as the shy, self-effacing Potts. (And before you ask, no that's not him singing; he is lip-synching to Potts' voice.)
Sometimes the plot and dialogue feel a tad schmaltzy, a bit 'Hollywood', potentially because it's a British story with British actors but in the hands of American filmmakers. The film could use a splash more irreverence, but there are real moments of humour, often thanks to the comedic timing of Corden, Julie Walters (as Potts' mum) and Mackenzie Crook (as his friend and inefficient manager at the Carphone Warehouse).
One Chance is entertaining and tells a genuinely inspiring story. It's not the most well-written script, but if you like stories about self-belief and pursuing your dreams no matter how many obstacles life throws at you, then you should see it. Or if you want to see my mum's unwitting extra-work. She's the tourist in the white trousers in the final scene, standing in the middle of Piazza San Marco and staring straight at the camera. Hi mum.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=1wtq5hN2eOE
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