Just perfect...

brilliant actors, brilliant editing

An action-packed slog

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

This has to be the most deceptive movie ever made. On initial viewing it appears to be simply a quaint, sweet and beautiful movie, but with no real depth. I will blame my lack of perception for this. I had to watch it again and again to properly get it, and enjoyed and appreciated it more each time. This is a film that makes people the stars. Not plot, excitement, romance or derring-do This is about how essentially, decent people, with different objectives and lifestyles can come together and reach a common good. The interactions are brilliantly portrayed, and what would appear initially as not much going on, is actually human beings really respecting who the others are and allowing them their eccentricities and personalities without judgement. It is telling us that we need outside stimulus nowhere near as much as we need each other. This means that in every scene, no matter how subdued, it is actually reaching far deeper than an exciting, though contrived action sequence would ever do. Bill Forsyth says to the audience. There isn't any need for real drama, just let people come together and watch them tell the story. This they do, to powerful effect, and when combined with a witty script, beautiful music and stunning scenery, you end up with quite simply, a superb creation.

In the course of human civilization, it has been keenly observed that the activities of buying and selling are not as simple as one expects them to be. This is due to the fact that in any financial transaction, apart from the exchange of cash and properties, human emotions are also involved. Keeping in mind this aspect of financial transactions, Scottish director Bill Forsyth directed "Local Hero", a film where more than buying and selling of goods, a precious exchange of human emotions take place in abundance. 'Local Hero' oscillates between comedy and drama as it contains elements of both genres. There is a lot for both critics as well as viewers to learn from an American's visit to a Scottish fishing village in order to negotiate the sale of land which would be used to construct an oil rig. One gets to watch how an ordinary American man becomes completely besotted with the simplicity of a Scottish village to such a large extent that he expresses his desire to swap his American existence for a much quieter stay in the fishing village. Director Bill Forsyth is a keen watcher of human foibles which he has succinctly shown in his film. One watches bemusedly how two lonely men feel the need of female companionship. Apart from ubiquitous concern for environment and nature, there is empathy towards animals too. In a moving scene there is string indignation when the American discovers that he has been made to eat his pet rabbit as food. Local Hero has celebrated more than 30 years of existence. It would be remembered by future generations as a film about local people who are neither hostile nor overtly nice. This is something which works in this film's favor as more than a single 'local hero', there are numerous 'local heroes' who care for their surroundings.

Oil billionaire Happer (Burt Lancaster) sends "Mac" MacIntyre (Peter Riegert) from Houston to remote Scotish village Ferness to secure a bay to build a terminal for the North Atlantic oil fields. His family is not actually Scotish and he'd rather do the deal through fax. Once there, local rep Danny Oldsen (Peter Capaldi) teams up with him. They meet marine biologist Marina (Jenny Seagrove) and Danny falls for her. The locals led by Gordon Urquhart (Denis Lawson) team up to negotiate a deal as Mac tries to adjust to the town. Then Gordon discovers that beachcomber Ben Knox (Fulton Mackay) actually owns the beach that is integral to the deal.It's a quirky little quiet Brit indie. My major problem is Peter Riegert. He's a great character actor but he can't really pull off a lead. It's also odd that he's not the one with the romance. Meanwhile Burt Lancaster is back in Houston for most of the movie. I think it would be interesting to have him in the town much more. This has a cast of slightly off characters but they aren't so quirky as to be funny. I just find the movie to be a slow moving bore with characters that I don't connect with. Everything is done with such a light touch that nothing is really ever intense.

The story is cynical Knox Oil employer Mac Macintyre is sent to Scotland to buy a village to set up an oil refinery. However, Mac is then swept in by the beauty of Scotland.This film is actually sort of surrealist- for example it includes a mermaid. The film is also a total laugh fest.This film is just so perfect. Some snobs might be reading this review saying "He thinks this is the greatest film of all time, what low taste. Has he seen a Yasujiro Ozu film? What about Tokyo Story?" Don't get me wrong, I love Tokyo Story, it's just it can be rather tedious at times. And why do we watch movies? To be entertained, and Local Hero is certainly entertaining.The performances are also great, especially from Burt Lancaster. But most of the credit for this movie has to go to Bill Forsyth, for his brilliant script an direction. The location scouting is also brilliant.