Sometimes Always Never

"In Sometimes Always Never, the inimitable Billy Nighy plays Alan, a haunted man who seeks solace in playing Scrabble. There is a great weight to his unique comic presence and the bittersweet drama around him is both stimulating and soothing, writes critic Sarah Ward. "

"Bill Nighy is a tailor who closes up shop to move in with his surly son Peter (Sam Riley), who stormed out of the family home years ago after a particularly heated round of Scrabble, in this comedy-drama. Opens in NZ cinemas 13th June with sneak previews this weekend."

"Nighy has a field day with the character of the eccentric Alan in this strangely endearing, sometimes curious film."

"Even Bill Nighy at his enigmatic and eccentric best can't make this familial drama compelling viewing."

"A cherishable, rarefied mystery-comedy."

"The sweet emotional payoff is an unexpected reward."

"Despite strong performances and a witty script, Sometimes Always Never lays on the homage a little too thick for its own good."

"This extremely dry film mixes humor and melancholy to distinctive, if muffled, effect."

"A sometimes wobbly, sometimes engaging, always well-acted tale of family estrangement and reconciliation."

"We remain engaged due to quiet performances made all the more impressive by how they cut through such noisy visual style."

"What the film does sustain, and quite remarkably, considering its serious theme, is a delicately comic tone."

"Don't lose sight of what you already have when searching for the elusive dream is the moral of this drama that explores the complex relationship between father and son."

"This film is a distinct, articulate pleasure."

"The appeal of a Bill Nighy character is hard to pin down. While his overall attitude to life is pessimistic, an irresistible desire to look for the joke lurking behind the bad news keeps breaking through and brightening the picture."

"The whimsy, in both script and visuals, can sometimes be grating."

"Sometimes Always Never is a quintessentially British film; a damp slice of seaside village life, often ponderous and offbeat (perhaps to a fault, depending on your tolerance) but curiously endearing."

"...sweet without being cloying and quirky without being stupid..."

"Often so self-consciously 'quirky' that you might occasionally want to scream, Sometimes Always Never is an odd, sad character piece that never really comes together, and feels fey and even twee."