Philip French 

Outside Bet – review

A solid cast can't save this big-hearted British comedy from being an also-ran, writes Philip French
  
  

outside-bet-review
Phil Davis and Bob Hoskins in Sacha Bennett's comedy Outside Bet: 'More hardtack than Seabiscuit'. Photograph: PR

In this big-hearted, low-budget British movie a gallery of familiar actors play a group of south-east Londoners who club together in 1985-86 to buy a horse they name the Mumper, and they eventually take it to Sandown Park to race it in Millwall colours. Following the example of Billy Elliot the makers have a social context for their story – most of the characters are printers involved in the Wapping strike that led to the end of their careers. I wish it were better, but it's more hardtack than Seabiscuit.

 

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