More unsubtly crowd-pleasing, Burnley-based ebullience, which gets by on its unimpeachably virtuous message — and a gloriously garrulous performance from the always-reliable Rory Kinnear.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 16, 2025

Even if the movie is about one small win, there’s a sedate pleasure in seeing it play out, especially knowing a version of it happened in real life.

| Aug 24, 2023

A spirited and cheerful movie.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jun 16, 2023

The film, directed by Chris Foggin, may stretch the truth but it has charm to spare and at a time when the big banks aren’t very popular, it’s sure to bring a smile to the face of many a borrower.

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jun 2, 2023

Director Chris Foggin builds another English “feel-good” movie, the latest in a line that goes back well into the last century... It also has a whiff of truth that saves the day.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 1, 2023

Kinnear gives a robustly likable performance as Dave, somewhat redeeming this unashamedly formulaic crowd-pleaser.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 23, 2023

It is alarmingly simplistic stuff... Joel Fry does nice work as a dreamy London lawyer beguiled by the Burnley way, while the Bridgerton actress Phoebe Dynevor, in the non-role of “love interest” Alexandra, is just, well, kind of there.

| Original Score: 2/5 | Jan 20, 2023

An assertively genial comedy based on the true story of Dave Fishwick.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 19, 2023

There are pockets of charm, and Kinnear captures something of a man who is sensationally rich but has never lost touch with his humanity or roots. But, as directed by Chris Foggin, it’s all fairly one-dimensional, as is the script.

| Jan 19, 2023

It’s a film with a decent bit of charm, and it’s hard to argue with the greed-is-bad message.

| Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 18, 2023