By: Addison Wylie

Musicians Mike Ford and Murray Foster have a shared enthusiasm for toe-tapping britpop.  This appreciation motivated the compadres to develop The Cocksure Lads, an imitation homage to the lively tunes.

Foster has taken the ruse further with The Cocksure Lads Movie.  While the comedy is lightheartedly harmless, I have a disagreement with how this nutty band has taken the leap to the big screen.

The Cocksure Lads, a tame group of goodie-goodies, work only as a parody of their sub-genre.  Foster hasn’t developed the musicians in any way other than being a self-referential goof, and that’s fine for a short film or a music video.  It’s a gag that manages to squeeze some smiles out of audiences.  What doesn’t bode well is Foster’s conviction that he is adding more meat to his story by sticking his flat characters in straight-faced situations.

The writer/director, for some reason, also splits up the band so they can carry their own individual romances.  Another rookie mistake, especially since the actors work best when they’re together.  Instead, Foster gives each band member an interchangeable Indie Pixie to play off of.

If the filmmaker set out to pit a dated band in modern day circumstances, The Cocksure Lads Movie could’ve been clever.  Imagine the band debating how compensation through digital downloads isn’t as fulfilling as selling cassette tapes from their merch table.  However, The Cocksure Lads Movie is so fluffy, it’s hardly worth getting upset over how badly it drops the ball.

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The Cocksure Lads Movie screens at Toronto’s Canadian Film Festival on Wednesday, March 25 at 6:45 pm at The Royal Cinema.