Tamara Drewe (4 Stars)

The last time I watched this film I said it was a love story. After seeing it a second time I'm not so sure. Yes, the film does contain a romance, but there's so much more to it. It's a drama about life in a small village, and how the country people clash with intruders from the city. People from the city are fascinated by the beauty of the countryside, whereas the people from the village are bored and want to move away.

The story takes place in Ewedon in Dorset. Nicholas Hardiment is the successful author of a series of murder mysteries. He's a disciplined writer who can produce ten pages a day, so he has no trouble writing a new book every year. His wife Beth has opened their home as a writer's retreat. Other authors can rent rooms for weeks or for months to find calm to write their books, far away from the hustle and bustle of city life. They also look up to Nicholas for advice, because none of them share his success.

Tamara Drewe (Gemma Arterton) is someone who escaped from Ewedon. She moved to London and became a journalist for the Guardian. Now she's returned after ten years to sell the house of her mother who has recently died. Her arrival in the village after all this time causes chaos. The men all want her, whether they're young or old, single or married. Can you blame them? Gemma Arterton combines the innocent beauty of a country girl with the self-confident sexuality of a city girl.

All that Ewedon's men can do is watch and dream. Tamara has moved on. She's not interested in the villagers. She hooks up with Ben (Dominic Cooper), the drummer in a big rock band. She divides her time between London and Ewedon while she renovates her house to prepare it for sale.

The 15-year-old schoolgirls Jody and Casey play a significant part in the film. They both have a crush on Ben and fantasise about being with him. Casey is realistic and knows that it's only dreams. A few pints of cider can help her get over her sorrows. Jody doesn't give up so easily. She's sure that if she can lure him into her bed just once he'll fall for her. She sneaks into Tamara's house, steals his drumsticks and sends anonymous emails. The S word is never used, but she's definitely a stalker.

Can Jody tear Ben away from Tamara? She has tough competition.

Dominic Cooper's brother Nathan wrote and performed a song for the film called "Jailbait Jody". Dominic didn't need to have a bad conscience when he got close to her. The actress Jessica Barden may have looked 15, but she was actually 18. That's the magic of professional makeup artists.

The film takes place over 12 months, divided into four seasons: summer, autumn, winter and spring, in that order. As much as I like the film, I can't help feeling the story would be more suited to a television series. Over the course of 12 or more episodes it could be developed into a mini soap opera. In Germany the film is called "Always drama with Tamara". Normally I don't agree with films being renamed, but in this case the German title is very appropriate.

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