Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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54 of 55 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
CLIFF PLAYS IT STRAIGHT!, 4 Nov 2002
Having become a 'born again Christian' in 1965, Cliff Richard made a brief departure from his musical films to take the lead role in "Two A Penny".
Jamie Hopkins (Cliff) plays a "ducking and diving" young man who lives with his mother (Dora Bryan) and steals drugs from the doctor's surgery where she is employed. His similarly unscrupulous girlfriend Carol (Ann Holloway) leads a similarly amoral life which changes dramatically following her conversion to Christianity during a visit to a traveling religious crusade fronted by evangelist Billy Graham (himself). As a result of her conversion, Carol attempts to show her boyfriend the light. However, Jamie's only interested in sex, drinking at his local pub (where he belts out a great version of 'Twist & Shout') and making easy money. He comes to grief when he decides to
double-cross the gang that buys the stolen drugs. As a consequence, he begins to ask questions about his lifestyle; questions that Carol endeavors to answer from a Christian perspective. Does Jamie finally turn to God for help? This little-seen gem of a movie is full of surprises (not least of which is Cliff's acting ability; he turns in a very convincing performance) and I'm not going to spoil the ending. Cliff also penned 3 songs for the soundtrack: "Two A Penny", "I'll Love You Forever Today" and "Questions".
The film caused some controversy on its release in 1967. It was premiered at the 'Prince Charles Cinema' in Soho, London for a number of weeks but, because the aim of the film was to promote Christianity, it was deemed by cinema distributors to be 'out of step' during the swinging 60's and it never went on general release. In stark contrast, religious communities criticised the film's content; some scenes were considered too raunchy and the overall storyline too 'earthy'. Consequently, the movie suffered a quick demise in this country. To my knowledge, it has never been screened on TV (terrestrial or satellite) in the UK.
It has now been resurrected and restored on DVD (with extra footage) and Video (VHS). Highly recommended.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad at all! , 27 April 2007
For someone who never had any formal training as an actor / singer, Cliff puts in a decent performance in this little-known, late 60s gem. He'd already been in a few other films by this time (Expresso Bongo, Summer Holiday and some other film which I haven't seen yet - the title of which escapes me). This film, "Two a Penny" is by far the most interesting out of all the Cliff films I have seen. I actually quite like it - and no I'm not a die-hard Cliff fan!
I was particularly interested in seeing "Two a Penny" to see how realistically Cliff plays the role of "bad guy" Jamie Hopkins, who is involved in theft, drug deals, violence and, almost, attempted rape. This type of character seems so remote from "Cliff" it must surely need some real acting? I would be lying if I said I found his portrayal totally convincing - there are moments in the film where he tries too consciously to sound more working-class, and this seems slightly at odds with his middle-class "Cliffiness" which shines through. Compare the way Jamie speaks to the way his mother (excellently played by Dora Bryan) speaks and you will notice a class inconsistency that is slightly too wide.
Though at times a little theatrical, Cliff's acting is far from hammy. He was a very good-looking guy with presence and a very distinctive voice, and I can imagine at the time would have made him a real hearthrob. It is easy to see why Cliff, like the protagonist he plays, is not "Two a Penny." The character of Jamie Hopkins is essentially a lovable rogue, a cocky, colourful cad who aspires to higher things in life. Cliff portrays him very well, perhaps due to the fact that he shares the character's ambition???
It's important to judge films in the context of the era in which they are made, and, for its time, "Two a Penny" is quite innovative, daring even, in some of the storylines and issues it raises. It is very "new wave" and evokes the exciting mood of central London in the swinging 60s.
All in all this is a great little film that I am pleased to have in my collection. One thing I particularly like about this film is that there is no huge moment where the bad guy suddenly sees the light and turns into a saint. Jamie gets more or less disowned by his mother, and appears to START to repent his ways.....or does he? Watch it and decide for yourself!
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