Nessie (2023)

At the time of writing, I appear to be the only person in the whole world who has seen this in a cinema! That might be because, here in the UK, it seems to have just one Odeon, on the outskirts of Glasgow, giving it an outing. That's actually a bit of a shame, because though it's nothing especially groundbreaking, it is quite an amiable little drama. A town on the side of Loch Ness is gradually fading away thanks to the building of a bypass and to a dwindling interest in the legendary monster. All of that changes one day when "Jimmy" (John Michie) gets a letter informing him that an American industrialist has left the place $50m! Needless to say the Scotch flows well that night. Next day, he gets another saying that the son "Brad" (Patrick Kilpatrick) is having none of this, and so he has directed the services of his lawyer - Stephanie Beacham - to offer them less that 1% of that sum. She duly passes the buck to her Glaswegian operative "Heather" (Tanya Fear) who turns up, incognito, in their village and is soon under their spell. What ensues here is very reminiscent of "Local Hero" (1983). A gently comedic tale of locals who are not so dumb as they might look. It is a very Scottish story, with plenty of daft - and sarcastic - humour that offers us an engaging look at rural life with all it's characters! Yes, there are a few stereotypes here - but they are used to take a playful swipe at many things brash, garish (and gullible) in American culture and all things a bit twee in the Scots one. There's even room for a bit of romance before a denouement that is, well, let's say it has to put a smile on your face. No, it's probably not a film you will remember, and having watched it I see why it's got such a tiny cinema run, but it is worth a watch if you just want to be entertained by some charming and mischievous characterisations on screen amidst some stunning Highland scenery that is riddled with the dreaded midgies!