Film Festival: I Told You I Was Ill - The Life and Legacy of Spike Milligan

I was eagerly awaiting this film, and it amply repaid the wait, but in pennies. I left the cinema clinking. I hate that. I hate that Spike got old and died, too, but I love that this film wasn't afraid to show him old, frail, withered, either.

There was much that this film didn't show. For all that it hinted at the Dark Side of Spike, it didn't go out of its way to highlight what an unmitigated bastard he could be. But moments of darkness like this were otherwise flooded in the light of compassion and joy which he shared with anyone who would listen to his voice. Like the barney over his estate, also mentioned briefly, it's not that important. Another pitfall avoided is concentrating too much on the Goons, or his War Years. These periods, these events, are all well-documented. It's the seventies and eighties which are sparse, and by concentrating on the stories of Spike's children, we get an insight into this part of his life which hasn't been seen clearly before.

Also wonderful are the tales of his friends and family. From Parkinson and Sykes, to his brother Desmond, their tales are a real joy to hear.

If you've an interest in Spike, or even just in comedy (Eddie Izzard called him the Godfather of Comedy, but he was far more than just that), then you'll want to see this film. You won't regret it, either. For a film about a cranky old dead guy, I found it profoundly life-affirming.