Gregory's Two Girls

While this may be a belated sequel to Gregory's Girl, it's most certainly not a reprise. Gregory (Gordon-Sinclair) is now a teacher at his old Cumbernauld comprehensive, unable to commit to the romantic demands of fellow teacher Bel (Doyle Kennedy) because he can't get guilty thoughts about Frances (McKinnon), one of his brightest students, out of his head. When the latter arranges an illicit rendezvous, his pulses are racing, but her boyfriend comes along and together they have secrets to reveal: in the nearby electronics factory they've discovered evidence of an export trade in torture technology to the Third World. There's still comic mileage in Gordon-Sinclair's amiable fumbling Gregory: e.g. his hilarious confrontation with police and headmaster after his contact with McKinnon becomes known. She's another in the distinguished line of self-confident Forsythian young women, and so never allows the teacher/student subplot to become uncomfortable. Fascinatingly, attention is directed towards wider, broadly political issues, but Forsyth's assured craftsmanship ensures that they are deftly woven into the storytelling. Gordon-Sinclair is a revelation, and although the film suffers from a lack of pace, its wealth of human insight and the premium it places on subtlety of expression make it a rare pleasure.