Dexter Fletcher’s Proclaimers musical – everyone’s calling it ‘McMamma Mia!’ – will put a big daffy smile on your face. Even if Fletcher gave away gold iPhones in cinemas, he could hardly make watching ‘Sunshine on Leith’ more of a feelgood experience. It’s a wet, sloppy dog-kiss of a film.
What it has over ‘Mamma Mia!’ is decent songs. Seriously, the Proclaimers are miles better than anyone probably remembers them. The songs are straight from the heart (‘If I get drunk… I’m gonna be the man who gets drunk next to you’ – as declarations of love go, it’s the best most of us can hope for). And the lyrics are bang-on for the story of a couple of squaddies – childhood mates – back in Edinburgh (‘I’m on My Way’) after a tour of Afghanistan, working in call centres, falling in love.
The story is a bit predictable and rough around the edges. But it’s heart-on-the-sleeve sweet. Even Peter Mullan – Mr Rent-a-Nutcase – goes all Tom Waits with a growlingly sweet rendition of ‘Oh Jean’. Warning: if you enjoy sentimental in the same way that you enjoy a stomach bug, avoid. Everyone else, take tissues.