Fakers

Well, if it isn’t another British crime pic. Janes’ lighthearted, low-cost con flick won’t win any prizes for originality or style; indeed it would probably be better suited to a post-watershed TV slot. Nevertheless, Paul Gerstenberger’s amusingly waggish screenplay – which apparently came about via a posting on the internet – keeps one attuned to the unfolding exploits of one Nick Edwards (Matthew Rhys), a small-time scamster who has just days to pay back a £50,000 loan to Art Malik’s suave, sweet-talking crime boss. His saviour arrives in the form of a rare sketch which he finds hidden in an art box that allegedly once belonged to a legendary Italian artist. Trouble is, the drawing’s only worth £15,000. Could a chance meeting with an artistically talented but innocent ‘faker’ give Nick the break he needs? You may remember Rhys from last year’s ‘POW’ TV series. He’s a likeable performer who, along with Malik’s arch smoothie, is one of the linchpins of this slightly amateurish but divertingly entertaining ’60s-style escapade.