TOMMY'S HONOUR

TWO STARS The son of a Scottish caddy dreams of hitting the big league as a golfer. His father is more traditional.

Starring Jack Lowden and Peter Mullan

PERIOD DRAMA #TOMMYSHONOUR

Directed by Jason 'son of Sean' Connery, TOMMY'S HONOUR aims to bring the story of Scotland's Thomas Morris, the 'father of golf', to life. Ironic then that, to a non-player, the result is so awkward and dull that it actually makes the real game of golf seem interesting. There's a rich story to be told, a father-and-son dynamic that pits a traditional man against his modern son in the stuffy milieu of early 20th century golf, a game of gentlemen. Given Tommy the elder is a greenskeeper and part-time caddy, he and his son are to be kept in their place, this despite Tommy the junior becoming a champion player. Add in his untimely demise at 24, the tragic death of his young wife and child, plus elder Tommy's significant skill designing courses, you'd think this has all the elements of epic drama. And it would be if not for a clumsy script that rips any tension from the narrative at first sight, and direction that jumps from scene to scene with little pause for the concern of its bewildered audience. As each set-up is resolved by scene's end, any emotional or narrative potential is squandered. Even the ever-reliable Peter Mullan can make little headway with a film that leaves his (more interesting) story to form a backdrop to his son's (less interesting) aspriations. Balance is the key, and one sorely lacking. With too much time on the course and not enough time spent getting there, TOMMY'S HONOUR soon dissolves into an altogether uninteresting, and unconvincing, run around the course.