The British Pub, Inc

‘Pubs are fantastic!’ says one man in this short film; stating the obvious but also, surely, speaking for us all. Gino Canella’s documentary expands slightly on this theme, touching on Camra and the real ale revival, the pros and cons of managed houses like Wetherspoons and the struggle facing pubs after the double whammy of the recession and the smoking ban – a shocking 4,500 boozers have closed their doors since 2009.

Ultimately, the film is slightly frustrating, prompting the thought that some serious documentary treatment of pubs is long overdue but not really managing to scratch the itch itself. One for BBC4, perhaps? As, for Canella’s film, it’s much like a leisurely afternoon session – it doesn’t really go anywhere, but it’s perfectly agreeable all the same.