Tom is forty. He walks out one day, rather abruptly, on his wife and baby boy and his seemingly happy life. He finds himself living on the streets of London.
One night alone in a park he is mistaken for a gay man and is set upon by a gang of violent thugs. In A&E the next day Tom meets Aidan, the happiest, fast-talking individual you are ever likely to meet, the complete opposite of Tom. Too polite, or too weak to ask him to leave him alone Tom tries to get away from this child-like man but with little joy, Aidan sticks to Tom like glue. Tom reluctantly becomes involved in Aidan's life and he quickly realizes that Aidan has problems too. Aidan's 'girlfriend' Linda verbally and physically abuses him on a regular basis. Will Tom overcome his own problems in order to help his new 'friend'? Will Tom ever make it back home - and why exactly did Tom leave home in the first place? Read more …
Treacle Jr works because the characters feel real and rounded, complete with foibles and failings that make them all the more human.
A gritty story that manages to take a refreshing attitude to the lives of the less fortunate.
Gillen’s manic turn is the attention grabber, but Fisher’s quietly wounded man-on-the verge is a solid anchor.
Entertaining but a touch slight, one thing that’s in no doubt is that Treacle Jnr’s heart is in the right place; it is, after all, a film named after a kitten.
It’s gruff, funny and stealthily poignant, with a handmade sincerity you’d struggle to fake.
Gillen gives a, loose-limbed comic performance, often funny, sometimes very sad.
The more interesting character of Tom, and his apparent mental breakdown, are, after a great opening, barely explored.
A little British gem that blossoms into an endearing salute to friendship and the power of positive thinking.
Uncommercial but well made.
The film has its moments and Aidan Gillen is impressive as the Hibernian hanger-on from hell, but it's a slight affair.
Never mind the budget, it’s the performances and directing talent that count.
This is a film that remains defiantly unsentimental, preferring instead to revel in organic, character-driven humour.
There are many traps for a film like this but Treacle Jr doesn't patronise its characters, and Thraves' unfussy storytelling is both affecting and winning. Shot through with a bittersweet sense of humour, it captures but never mocks human loneliness.
Treacle Jr. interview: Jamie Thraves and Aidan Gillen
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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