Film Review: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN (2021): Mark Rylance is Perfect in a Comedy About Golf that Has a Lot of Heart

The Phantom of the Open Review

The Phantom of the Open (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Craig Roberts, written by Simon Farnaby and Scott Murray and starring Mark Rylance, Sally Hawkins, Ian Porter, Tommy Fallon, Jake Davies, Christian Lees, Jonah Lees, Mark Lewis Jones, Johann Myers, Nigel Betts, Afsaneh Dehrouyeh, Tim Berrington, Neil Edmond, Amy Alexander and Rhys Ifans.

In 1997, the sweet, hysterical crowd pleaser, The Full Monty, went on to receive Academy Award love for its story of some lovable misfits who thrive against the odds and become heroes–even if it’s for just one day. That picture set the stage for more tales of average everyday Joes and Janes who triumph despite all odds. These characters don’t necessarily succeed in terms of great riches but become better, more fulfilled people as a result of their efforts. The Phantom of the Open, directed by Craig Roberts, is very much in the vein of The Full Monty and offers a performance by its star, Mark Rylance, that is absolutely delightful and his work keeps the movie involving and moving all the way through. Rylance’s character in the picture likes his tea very sweet with six sugars and The Phantom of the Open goes down in an equally sugary fashion. It’s a treat to watch.

Rylance portrays a real life hero named Maurice Flitcroft who managed to pull the wool over some people’s eyes by participating in the British Open. He wasn’t very good at golf (in fact he was really bad) but got to play in the latter part of his life thanks to his perseverance and, as a result, his story won a lot of fans. This film is sprinkled with plenty of 1970’s songs that enrich the period the movie is set in. “Ride Like the Wind” is the most successfully used song in the picture. Overall, it’s definitely a movie that just feels like The Full Monty because of how outrageous it is and how gloriously entertaining it plays.

Sally Hawkins, always a pleasure to watch, plays Maurice’s wife, Jean, who stood by her husband in his quest to achieve something in his life beyond the mundane. Hawkins is truly a delightful actress in almost every part she plays and her work here opposite Rylance is tremendously appealing. Hawkins adds her distinct charm and humanity to Jean and turns the real-life character into her own creation while maintaining the integrity of Jean throughout.

Jake Davies serves as Maurice’s oldest son, Mike, who has become successful in his career and lets the forty-something year old Maurice in on the news that it doesn’t look good for him at his job as a crane operator. This revelation opens the door to Maurice making his way into the British Open by maneuvering his way in.

Gene (Christian Lees) and James (Jonah Lees) are Maurice’s other kids and they simply love disco which parallels the love Maurice seems to have for golf and these characters inspire each other in entertaining and interesting ways. Rhys Ifans is the icing on the cake as the tournament head who ultimately believes that nobody would pretend to be a professional golfer if a person was not one. Ifans, one of our most reliable character actors, turns in another remarkably on point performance which he can add to a resume which includes his turn in the 1999 gem, Notting Hill.

There are some dramatic scenes in the picture between Davies and Rylance which deepen the movie and make us understand what is truly important in life. It’s all about taking risks and learning from them, regardless of the outcome. Hawkins and Rylance are equally important to the picture with the performers achieving even more substance than what seems to be on the surface of the story line.

Of course, Maurice didn’t really have what it takes to roll with the big boys of golf but by disguising himself up as different characters (e.g. Arnold Palmtree), he proved he could take a chance on himself and do what almost everybody thought he could never do. It’s a bit of an inspiration to see a premise like this and though the movie’s developments do have some harsh realities to them, the picture makes the audience think about its premise as all good films should do.

The Phantom of the Open is Mark Rylance’s vehicle to strut both his comic and dramatic chops and is destined to find an appreciative audience. I would say the familiar feel of some of the themes lessens the impact of some of the movie’s scenes but not in a way that would make people see this movie as anything less than a winner. It will make you have a newfound respect for the underdog.

Rating: 8/10

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