yvonne-91633 I had altogether forgotten just how much John Cleese was a man ahead of his time.I haven't watched this film for many years and I actually thought it came to our screens much earlier than its recorded 1986 release date.It was some ten years after the showing of the series 'Fawlty Towers', which made John Cleese such a household name and which to some extent rather stereotyped him for any future television or film characters.The Cleese frenetic pace and energy was in abundance throughout 'Clockwise' and whilst some of the dialogue and situations were very much scripted, I feel certain that John added much of his own brand of wry wit and humour along the way.Almost every situation John found himself in, was of his own making, whilst at the same time I had to feel sorry for him, when circumstances conspired against him, at almost every turn.The ending in particular was very 'off the wall', even for a Cleese production and one can only imagine what might have happened once the dust had settled. Hearing him try and explain events, might well have given rise to an entire second film! This may not have been the most intellectual film I could have spent my Saturday night watching, however a good dose of slapstick, harmless fun, never hurt anyone :)

Leofwine_draca CLOCKWISE is an all-but-forgotten movie, a low budget and extremely British-feeling farce in which John Cleese, a man who's a stickler for being on time, struggles to get to an appointment. Set over the course of a single day, it has an extremely simplistic narrative, and yet it's still one of my favourite comedies ever.Whether you like this film or not really depends on your sense of humour, as this is very British-feeling throughout (unlike A FISH CALLED WANDA, which ably mixed American and British tastes). Given that he's virtually in every scene, whether you like this or not depends on whether you're a fan of Cleese. Personally, I think he's a comic genius, and his character here - a riff on Basil from FAWLTY TOWERS - is sheer brilliance.To say too much more would be to spoil things, suffice to say that the story is so well crafted that there's nary a slow moment and the laughs come thick and fast, mixing good old-fashioned slapstick comedy with character humour and repeated tropes which build up to a mantra come the climax. Great stuff.

caspian1978 A typical one joke scene movie where the audience (whether they be British or American) will find empty laughs. Unlike A fish Called Wanda, a true classic with real characters, Clockwise has empty people who are never developed throughout the story. Like a rolling stone, the story drags more and more characters towards the film's conclusion. However, there is no climax as none of the characters evolve or have any resolution. The plot falls short with no moral or closure. With that said, if this was just a roller coaster ride for just laughs, where were the jokes? Clockwise has moments of a story and comedy, but it is not a comical story. The bulk of the movie falls on the shoulders of John Cleese, who does a good job, but has nothing to work with. If the movie was shot in only a few days with a limited budget, then I would say this was a fine attempt of a British comedy. However, when it is compared to anything decent in the last 20 years, you can in no way consider this a masterpiece, a classic, or even a good comedy.

The_Void Anything featuring the immense talents of John Cleese is automatically worth seeing, and this eighties comedy is certainly no exception. Aside from the great john Cleese, this film benefits from a great number of other positives, including a finely worked script; that manages to stay realistic and down to Earth despite the highly unlikely nature of much of the plot, and the highly farcical nature of many of the events; which bode extremely well with the lead star, as Cleese finds himself in his element in the role of the strict headmaster. Indeed, the major reason why this film works so well is down to the former Monty Python star, as he blunders his way through the film and somehow manages to retain and air of authority while doing so. The comedy styling is one of "it can't get any worse!", and it continually does; as constantly punctual headteacher, Brian Stimpson, finds himself in a world of trouble after missing the train to Norwich, where he is set to make a speech to a meeting of the best headmasters in the country. After acquiring the services of one of his sixth form pupils, he gets back on track to Norwich; but not without a number of problems.The comedy comes by way of both gags, and the plot itself, which always manages to garner a laugh or two due to its superbly silly nature. Cleese is joined by a number of British stars, who all do well in their respective roles. Sharon Maiden stands out as Cleese's travel companion for much of the film; and somehow manages to look cute despite a truly awful hairstyle. Smaller British stars such as Pete Walker's muse, Sheila Keith, Alison Steadman and Eastenders' John Bardon, who would go on to star as Jim Branning in said soap opera help to liven up the supporting cast. The film does feel typically eighties, but stays away from the more silly side of the decade's cinema and many of the jokes bend more towards the intellectual side. The film is in very good humour throughout, and therefore offers an enjoyable time for its audience. Seeing John Cleese deliver an assembly towards the start will no doubt remind anyone that was schooled in England of that time, and Clockwise does a very good job of presenting it's plot and setting. Overall, this film comes highly recommended to anyone that enjoys fun films.