Mark Rylance stars in Phantom of the Open, in cinemas now.
Golf has never been my thing. The concept is simple but, as many know, in practise it's a painfully frustrating game. Thankfully, the cinematic version is far more agreeable and The Phantom of the Open returns a solid scorecard.
Transferring his talents from the felt-hatted Paddington to the flannel-floppied golfer
Maurice Flitcroft, screenwriter Simon Farnaby has teamed up with director Craig Roberts (Eternal Beauty) to tell the true story of Flitcroft, who stunned the golfing world with the worst round in British Open history.
The perfectly cast Mark Rylance (Don't Look Up, Dunkirk) tees off as Flitcroft, an amiable, quietly spoken crane operator from the Northern English port town of Barrow-in-Furness. After taking a shine to golf (despite never having never before held a club) the determined and extremely naive Maurice finds himself fortuitously entered into the prestigious British Open.
Flitcroft sees the positive in every situation and despite his atrociously bad golf game he always manages to find the silver lining, telling anyone who will listen that he is improving with every stroke. And although he feverishly practices, his misplaced optimism becomes a runaway train heading for a washed-out bridge.
Also perfectly cast is Sally Hawkins (Happy Go Lucky, The Shape of Water), who gives a heartwarming turn as Maurice's long-suffering but very supportive wife, Jean, who despite limited screen time, offers some of the film's best moments.
