Rams
VILLAGE ROADSHOWRams from director Jeremy Sims is an adaptation of the Icelandic comedy of the same name. Both share beautiful scenery, scheming farmers, and warring brothers, but only one has Sam Neill. This one. Whether or not that makes Rams superior to its inspiration is a question only those who have seen both can answer. Considering most projects are improved with the inclusion of such a great actor, Rams takes a run at comedy gold.
Hearty comedies are what Neill does best these days. There are immediate similarities in costume and theme to that of his earlier work in The Hunt for the Wilderpeople. While not the gruff curmudgeon he is in Taika Waititi’s comedy, the man living off of the land is still present and a comfortable lead. Neill is joined by his on-screen brother, Les (Michael Caton). Their longstanding grudge provides much of the potential comedy to Rams. They share in their need for little victories, whether it is making it through the farm gate first or having the more responsive shepherd dog of the two. This competitive spirit is venomous but interesting to watch. In fact, most of these farmers, supporting or lead, are horrid toward one another.
Still, they take it on the chin well enough, they are comrades when not pitting their sheep against one another. Neill is the only recognisable face between them, it is up to him to take on the burden of carrying the narrative. Wayne Blair and Miranda Richardson offer nice supporting performances, but sadly don’t offer much in the way of dramatic strengths, of which Rams can pride itself on at times. Again, it is Neill who carries these moments of sudden tension, and the pay-off is amicable.
While Rams offers up the occasionally strong gag and fuels its brotherly feud consistently, it never takes off as it should. Its plot may be the issue here, with its sentimental tones and attempts at fuelling the love of two brothers once more, it all comes across as a tad artificial and wildly jumps the shark from time to time. Take the scene where Les, in a fit of rage, begins to fire his gun at Colin’s house. Had Colin not ducked at this time, he would be dead. Plain and simple. That is a rather dark, happenstance moment to slide into your comedy piece. These brothers are at war, communicating with one another through their sheepdogs. Dramatic comedies are hard to balance, and Rams leaps from comedy support to the sudden outbreak of a sheep virus. Neither are grappled with well, but there is enough history for the characters to sink their teeth into, and nobody comes out of this one looking bad whatsoever.