THE LAST BUS

UK 2021, 88 min Director Gillies MacKinnon

Here’s a film that proves a true hero’s journey can take place on even the humblest of conveyances—public buses. In director Gillies MacKinnon’s heartfelt, humane comedy-drama, Timothy Spall (Mr. Turner, MVFF 2014) stars as Tom, an ailing, elderly widower, who leaves home with little more than his free transit pass and a briefcase that he never lets out of his sight. Transferring from bus to bus, he travels from the village of John o’Groats in northern Scotland to Land’s End in Cornwall, 600 miles away. Flashbacks reveal that Tom, desperately committed to keeping a mysterious promise while he still can, is retracing a path to the spot where he and his wife first fell in love. Spall delivers a once-in-a-lifetime performance, supported by a delightful ensemble of characters who sometimes hinder but more frequently help this unforgettable, understated hero on his epic and heartwarming quest. –David Templeton

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