Matthew Turner | On 29, Oct 2022

Director: Jim Archer
Cast: David Earl, Chris Hayward, Louise Brealey, Jaime Michie
Certificate: PG

Expanded from a 12-minute 2017 short by writer-performers David Earl and Chris Hayward, Brian and Charles plays like a ramshackle British mockumentary version of 2012’s Robot and Frank. Directed by Jim Archer, it’s a charming and frequently very funny comedy with two immensely loveable characters at its beating robo-heart.

Earl plays Brian, an eccentric inventor living in a remote cottage in Snowdonia, where he creates weird-but-useless things like a belt for eggs, or a pinecone bag. While out looking for materials, he stumbles upon a mannequin head and is inspired to build a robo-companion, using an old washing machine as the torso.

After a thunderstorm brings the robot to life, Brian is delighted. The robot (Hayward) quickly names itself Charles Petrescu and the pair begin a mutually rewarding friendship, with Charles persuading Brian to ask out Hazel (Louise Brealey), a shy local woman who has a crush on him. However, their newfound idyll is threatened when neighbourhood bully Eddie Tommington (Jamie Michie) gets wind of Charles’ existence and plots to steal him.

Earl has played variations of his character on numerous TV shows (several of them with Ricky Gervais), which might account for how Brian feels immediately familiar and likeable, a lived-in comic performance that feels honed over several years. He also invests Brian with an underlying sadness and loneliness, which makes it that much more moving when first Charles and then Hazel give him the confidence to come out of his shell.

Hayward is equally good as Charles – he’s an instantly adorable comic creation, thanks to his sing-song, Max Headroom-esque line delivery – “I’m the prince of the dartboard!” – his childlike enthusiasm and his offbeat physicality (his movements aren’t traditionally robotic, but there’s still something machine-like about them, giving him a unique charm).

The script’s stroke of comic genius is to have Charles rapidly cycle through stages of growth, coming-of-age-style, as he learns more about the world – his teenage tantrums are very funny, leaving Brian utterly bewildered. Similarly, Archer pulls off an impressive tonal shift, introducing an unsettling air of menace when Tommington and his family are around, something that will undoubtedly strike a chord with anyone who’s ever experienced bullying.

The film unfolds in a mockumentary style, which works well in that it provides an excuse for straight-to-camera comedy (dialogue, reaction shots, etc), but it also creates a small narrative stumble, as it’s never explained and doesn’t entirely stand up to close inspection – there are changes of camera angles within scenes, for example, despite there clearly only being one cameraman. That said, the inconsistencies are quickly forgiven, because the results are so thoroughly enjoyable.

Ultimately, this is a charming and touching portrait of friendship and loneliness that delivers big laughs and strong emotion, thanks to a pair of terrific performances and some expert comic timing. Speaking of which, stick around for a delightful attempt at robo-rapping from Charles Petrescu that plays over the end credits.

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