The film “Bonnie and Clive,” with its knowingly kitschy title, sets the stage for a lighthearted, if somewhat absurd, British comedy. This low-budget production chronicles the escapades of three young adults embarking on a road trip to Cornwall just as one of the COVID-19 lockdowns begins. The behind-the-scenes footage shown during the end credits reveals the cast’s enjoyment during filming, yet this enthusiasm doesn’t quite translate to the audience. The film’s whimsical musical numbers, featuring a ukulele, lose their charm rather quickly.
In the film, Eleanor May Blackburn stars as Bonnie, who needs to travel from South London to her grandparents’ home in Cornwall within two days to beat the lockdown. Just as she’s set to depart, she encounters Clive, a homeless street performer played by Michael Kodi Farrow, and offers to buy him a kebab. However, her credit card gets declined, prompting a hasty exit and leaving Clive to humorously improvise a robbery scene using his ukulele case, much to the kebab shop owner’s confusion.
The journey begins in a vintage 1990s camper van, with Bonnie and Clive soon joined by Wilco, portrayed by James Jip. Wilco is a social anthropology student fleeing university life, unable to cope with the lockdown. As they travel west, the film features numerous scenic shots of the British countryside, including stops at iconic locations such as Stonehenge and Dartmoor. One memorable, albeit quirky, scene even involves maneuvering a wheelchair-bound body around the Eden Project. The film’s persistent quirkiness can be a bit much, with some performances reminiscent of exaggerated children’s television.
“Bonnie and Clive” hits UK cinemas on June 3.
