Film review: Sing-Along Oliver, Filmhouse, Edinburgh

CONTEXT is everything, isn’t it? The Filmhouse is a cinema in which I have witnessed long, earnest discussions among patrons in the bar (and on Twitter) about how to deal with noisy audience members.

Fair enough, I hate the sound of sweetie packets rustling. It’s just that when it comes to the sing-along experiences, I’ve rarely heard an audience so eager to chuck out the rulebook.

The last sing-along screening I attended was West Side Story. Hearing the man next to me hum a note-perfect accompaniment to Bernstein’s overture was a joy I won’t forget, but I’d have to be honest and say that trying to keep up with Marnie Nixon’s crystalline soprano was quite an ask. Not so belting out “Oom-pah-pah” along with Nancy (Shani Wallis) in Lionel Bart’s 1968 masterpiece, Oliver!

The Academy Award-winning musical (it won six Oscars) was perfect singalong material. Most of us know it well enough that we weren’t entirely glued to the subtitles (although they were there, lovingly typed and manually changed by Filmhouse programmer Jenny Leask – does any other cinema programmer enjoy so many rounds of applause?) so we could sit back and enjoy the beautifully restored print as we sing.

The set pieces were thrilling to see on the big screen after watching them on TV every year at Christmas. And the songs? Well, this afternoon screening provided an embarrassment of riches – Consider Yourself, Food Glorious Food, and As Long as He Needs Me.

Truthfully, I’m not sure it’s possible to have better fun at the flicks.

Rating: ****