I got invited to a bloggers’ screening of Bunny and the Bull, and went in knowing little to nothing about the film. The film’s writer and director, Paul King, has directed nearly every episode of The Mighty Boosh, but although I like that programme, I’ve only seen it intermittantly, whereas some live and breathe all things Boosh.
Both Julian Barrett and Noel Fielding show up in Bunny and the Bull, but Edward Hogg and Simon Farnaby (who introduced the film with his director at our screening, and who’s family life some aspects of the film are based on) are the real stars. They play Stephen and Bunny. Stephen, we find living in his ordered but cluttered flat which he won’t leave. We’re introduced to his best friend Bunny who has something of a gambling habit.
As Stephen examines the contents of various boxes – all carefully labelled – we flash back to a year earlier when a lucky win on the horses raised enough funds for the pair of them to go travelling across Europe and leave behind the joys of the Captain Crab fast-food chain that Bunny likes eating in.
The film put together in an imaginative manner – employing various forms of animation to denote different settings, and almost wholly being studio bound irrespective of the scene being set.
Stephen has to pretty much go along with whatever Bunny wants – and that becomes ever more apparent when they reach Poland and run into the beautiful Eloisa who’s working in a branch of Captain Crab there. They hook up with her and decide to drive her across Europe to Spain and the fiesta in her town.
Clearly Stephen immediately falls in love with Eloisa, but that doesn’t necessarily stop Bunny getting in the way.
It’s not worth me even attempting to describe some of the things that take place en-route, but they involve a stuffed bear, homeless Swiss, and a would-be matador.
What happens isn’t for me to spoil but you care about the curious characters and the end is well worked.
I enjoyed it a lot, although how wide the film’s appeal will be isn’t immediately obvious. There’s a surplus of creativity in here though, and it deserves an audience.
An imaginative accompanying website is online.