There was apparently some controversy because Hawkins won a Golden Globe, but wasn't even nominated for an Oscar. Perhaps it is because for the first half of the film her character is so ultra-annoying that it makes you cringe and contemplate closing your browser window. By the end, she settles down and shows a lot of depth. But the most memorable performances come from Karina Fernandez as the intense dance instructor and--above all--from Eddie Marsan as an insecure, racist, and increasingly angry driving instructor. He steals every scene he is in, and while we can't condone his racism, his annoyance with Hawkins' character is often understandable. Overall, this is better than so-so, but not great. There are some nice small bits by actors playing the types of people we have come to know--although these are the British versions of those folks. ( )

A relentlessly cheerful school teacher takes driving lessons from an angry man.

Very well-written. The main characters are extremes to an almost ridiculous degree, but are still completely real. They're the sort of characters that you might often see in real life, but wouldn't normally accept in a movie because they're too perfectly suited to be Entertaining Movie Characters, and because most writers wouldn't know how to make them more than a bundle of quirks.

Concept: C
Story: B
Characters: A
Dialog: A
Pacing: B
Cinematography: B
Special effects/design: C
Acting: A
Music: B

Enjoyment: B

GPA: 3.1/4 ( )