Borrowed Time

The ever-dependable Phil Davis - perhaps best known for his TV work, including Being Human and Whitechapel - brings a touch of class to this quirky, middling British comedy. He plays Philip, a curmudgeonly, Steptoe-style pensioner, who strikes up an unlikely but uplifting relationship with gormless youth Kevin (Theo Barklem-Biggs) when the latter tries to burgle his home to settle a debt with local crime kingpin "Ninja Nigel" (Warren Brown). Together, the old man and the young offender turn the tables on the tyrant and begin to find a new sense of purpose in both their lives. Barklem-Biggs is impressive, with a little of the Nicholas Lyndhurst about him, but first-time writer/director Jules Bishop rather overdoes things; Kevin's gormlessness, Philip's crustiness and Ninja Nigel's kung-foolery are all cartoonishly overplayed. However, Borrowed Time does have its heart in the right place and you'll happily invest in the likeable lead characters.