Two Men Went to War (2002)

Director:

John Henderson

Writers:

Richard Everett (screenplay)
Raymond Foxall (book)

Release Date:

1 November 2002 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | War | Drama

Tagline:

A true story . . . that no one believed

Plot:

Comedy drama based on the true story of two British Army dentists who in 1942, eager to see action, go AWOL and invade occupied France on their own.

Plot Keywords:

Father Figure | English Channel | War In Europe | Sergeant | Dentist

Cast

Kenneth Cranham	...	Sgt. Peter King
Leo Bill	...	Pvt. Leslie Cuthbertson
Rosanna Lavelle	...	Emma Fraser
Phyllida Law	...	Faith
James Fleet	...	Maj. Bates
Julian Glover	...	Col. Hatchard
Anthony Valentine	...	SM Dudley
David Ryall	...	Winston Churchill
Derek Jacobi	...	Maj. Merton
Richard Sutton	...	Pvt. Horrocks
Anthony O'Donnell	...	Chief armourer
Paul Bayfield	...	Mike (soldier #1)
Jason Round	...	Soldier #3
Tim 'Nobby' Clarke	...	Young sergeant
Nick Miles	...	Sgt. Mowat

MPAA:

Rated PG for language and some violence.

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:PG | Australia:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Charlestown, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

Ira Trattner Productions

Trivia:

Nigel Hawthorne and Rufus Sewell were attached to this project at one stage

Goofs:

The pub at which the two soldiers stayed prior to stealing a boat for their journey to France, had all its' lights blazing at night even though the whole country was under blackout regulations throughout the war.

Unexpected British comic delight

What an unexpected delight is this true-ish wartime tale of two army dentists determined to do something for the war effort. A grizzled WW1 Sergeant and callow private go AWOL, heading for Cornwall and then to France armed with a rucksack of grenades, a couple of pistols and the odd dental tool. Possessing a comic lightness of touch rarely seen in Britain since the halcyon days of the Ealing comedies, this wonderful tale of British eccentricity is hilariously funny mainly because it never goes for the obvious laugh. Realisitic enough that the adventure is frequently nerve-wracking, with a splendid plot that constantly wrongfoots your guesses, the mismatched comic pair of Kenneth Cranham and Leo Bill work brilliantly. Filmed in vibrant colours so rarely seen in a British film, the movie succeeds way beyond its modest ambitions. It's the rare sort of film that banishes the blues and puts you in a good mood that lasts for ages afterwards. What more can you ask from a film than that?