“The Phantom of the Open” (2022)
Arnold Palmtree and the “World’s Worst Golfer”.
Arnold Palmtree and the “World’s Worst Golfer”.
With The Open (not the British Open) mere hours away, I had the good fortune to stumble across this real life tale recently that I’d known and grown up with as a staple of a golfing commentator’s armoury and a bizarre story with which to fall back on during inclement weather or a stagnant passage of live on course action. The name Maurice Flitcroft is synonymous with an outrageously high score from a rank beginner who “pretended” to be a Professional, made headline and television news and whom, unknown to me, would then continue to write his own story and continue his bizarre pretence for many golfing years to come. With a Full Monty type of British humour streaking throughout the film alongside some spectacular musical choices of the period including ABBA, The Foundations, Leo Sayer, The Drifters and Christopher Cross, I was won over by an unexpected tale well told.
Written by Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2, Mindhorn) and based upon his own co-authored book with Scott Murray entitled The Phantom of the Open: Maurice Flitcroft, the World’s Worst Golfer, this jointly funded and supported British Film Institute, National Lottery and BBC Film is well directed by Craig Roberts (Eternal Beauty, Just Jim) and as ever, the touchstones of the film are presented well in the film’s opening Black and White and Colour timeline that brings us up to date in 1975, and just a year away from Maurice Flitcroft bursting into both the British and worldwide golfing consciousness.
“Maurice Flitcroft” (Mark Rylance). A “based on a true story” golfing drama of a dreadful golfer and a dreamer going rogue in the hands of Mark Rylance who’s star turns for Steven Spielberg (Bridge of Spies, The BFG and Ready Player One) and Christopher Nolan (Dunkirk) have propelled him into the acting stratosphere? I was sold on the story alone but Rylance is excellent as ever as the toothy/false teethed working class lad who put away his dreams, married his sweetheart and worked in the grimy and unappealingly dirty shipyards of Barrow-in-Furness in the north of England until a love of golf was awoken when in 1975 he watched The Open on television and dreamed of one day lifting the famed winners “Claret Jug”. An incorrectly completed application form led to his inclusion in the 1976 tournament whereby he made history for all the wrong reasons, won the heart of a nation and, unknown to me prior to watching the film, decided to have some fun with the golfing establishment in the years after, as well as becoming the dreamer who’d previously left such dreams for others, a loveable rogue and the archetypal heart of gold human being who just wants the very best for his family, friends and those he loves.
That’s the central message I took from this sugary sweet biographical sporting drama. Maurice Flitcroft followed the dreams he’d previously believed had already died and, once he had a taste for the devilry of defeating “The Man” or the stuffed shirted golfing establishment, he wanted more. Not out of dreams now but of representing himself, his family and work colleagues. Not of winning but taking a part under the funniest of cloaks and daggers. Not for fame or recognition but to stick it in the eye of the private members clubs who laughed and sniggered at his desire to play on their courses. Mark Rylance captures an innocent man out of time, out of his depth and on the ride of a lifetime brilliantly well.
Supporting Mark Rylance in the central role are three particular portrayals of note. Firstly, Sally Hawkins is wonderful in an era inspired background role of quiet authority and support as his wife “Jean Flitcroft” and both Rhys Ifans and Steve Oram are almost unrecognisable in their respective roles of “Keith Mackenzie” (snobbish and stuffed white shirt of the golfing establishment) and “Gerald Hopkins” (repellent 1970’s business owner of the shipyards that employ both Maurice as well as his adopted son).
There is some tale to tell here and not all of it concerns the sport of golf or indeed the reason for Maurice Flitcroft’s propelling into the media stratosphere. The based on a true story also comprehensively covers his friendships as well as his broken dreams, his talented extended family and his pride at their achievements. Mixed with numerous real life images of the time, and of televisions with only three channels, remote controls attached to televisions depicting the grim and grimy dirtied yellow of the 1970’s of Margaret Thatcher and of industrial decay, work losses and redundancy, the film as a whole has a bounce and a verve and a very dry English wit no doubt reminiscent of the film’s real life central character.
I didn’t love The Phantom of the Open but I liked it and would have liked it even more if The Big Lebowski type of hallucinogenic and trippy dream sequences that litter the film had been cut and left on the editing room floor. That said, if you’re looking for a real life sporting drama that may surprise you above and beyond the widely known headline story, the review headlines or indeed my brief ramblings here, Mark Rylance’s portrayal of a man cocking a snook at an established order may well be for you.
Thanks for reading. I endeavour to write all of my film reviews with as little narrative spoiler as possible and if you’ve enjoyed this attempt at an eagle and a missed par putt from 3 feet, here are three more recently published spoiler free gems for your perusal:
“All The Old Knives” (2022)
Stylish espionage drama with a surprising twist.medium.com
“Elvis” (2022)
Beautiful warts and all telling of a broken hearted storymedium.com
“Men” (2022)
The magnificent forbidden fruit of Alex Garlandmedium.com