''Three and Out'' is a 2008 British

black comedy Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discus ...

film directed by Jonathan Gershfield and starring Mackenzie Crook,

Colm Meaney Colm J. Meaney (; ga, Colm Ó Maonaigh; born 30 May 1953) is an Irish actor known for playing Miles O'Brien in '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' (1987–1994) and ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (1993–1999). He has guest-starred on many TV ...

, Gemma Arterton,

Imelda Staunton Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre produ ...

, and Kerry Katona. It premiered in London on the 21 April 2008 and was released in the UK and

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

on 25 April 2008. It was released in Australia under the title ''A Deal Is a Deal''.

Plot

Paul Callow ( Mackenzie Crook) accidentally runs a man over with his underground train, after the man is pulled on to the tracks by his dog. After a week off he kills a second passenger who falls onto the tracks after having a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which m ...

. Before taking time off for the second accident his colleagues tell him about a little-known 'rule' at

London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The U ...

that no-one talks about: three 'under' within a month, and you lose your job - earning yourself ten years' salary in one lump sum. But being off for the next week means that Paul needs to find someone willing to kill themselves by the following Monday. Paul sets about trying to find someone prepared to die under his train – and after hearing a report about Holborn Viaduct he comes across Tommy Cassidy (

) attempting to jump off. He grabs his hand and pulls him up but far from being grateful Tommy is angered by Paul's interference and moans about how "do gooders" will not just mind their own business, however upon hearing a police siren he agrees to get in Paul's car. While in a bar Paul explains to Tommy that he will pay him if he is willing to jump in front of his train. Tommy is scornful asking what good will the money do him if he has to die. Paul says that he can have one last weekend of fun. Tommy however wants to do something meaningful. Tommy agrees to his proposal and decides to spend his last weekend making amends with his estranged family. Tommy hires a car and they travel to

Liverpool Liverpool is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the List of English districts by population, 10th largest English district by population and its E ...

. While there they find that Tommy's wife Rosemary (

) and daughter Frances ( Gemma Arterton) have moved to the Lake District. Paul tags along to protect his investment. While in the Lake District Tommy meets with resistance from his wife and daughter. He reconciles with his wife, who reveals she has found a new man. Paul meets the daughter at a local pub and the two get drunk and sleep together. On the Sunday morning Tommy tries to talk to his daughter and sees her in bed with Paul, then chases him over some hills before having a mild cardiac attack and being taken to hospital. Tommy and Paul leave to go back to London. Paul tells Tommy he does not want to kill him and Tommy insists that he go through with it. On the Monday morning Paul is told by his colleagues that the "three and out" rule was a joke, and that there is no pay off. When the time approaches Paul sees Tommy on the tracks and stops and reports an "animal on the tracks". However, crying and recalling "a deal's a deal", Paul accelerates towards Tommy, who recites

William Butler Yeats William Butler Yeats (13 June 186528 January 1939) was an Irish poet, dramatist, writer and one of the foremost figures of 20th-century literature. He was a driving force behind the Irish Literary Revival and became a pillar of the Irish liter ...

' poem Lake Isle of Innisfree as the train kills him. Distraught, Paul sits at home then begins to write and changes the title of his novel to Three and Out, we see Frances receive a copy of the novel along with £10,000 which Paul had promised to Tommy. Hidden behind the cheque is the dedication "In Memory of Tommy Cassidy". Realising her Dad has died, Frankie breaks down in tears. She travels to London and meets Paul, they go deep sea diving with Great White Sharks, Tommy's last wish.

Cast

* Mackenzie Crook as Paul *

as Tommy * Gemma Arterton as Frankie *

as Rosemary *

Antony Sher Sir Antony Sher (14 June 1949 – 2 December 2021) was a British actor, writer and theatre director of South African origin. A two-time Laurence Olivier Award winner and a four-time nominee, he joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1982 a ...

as Maurice * Kerry Katona as Mary * Gary Lewis as Callaghan * Annette Badland as Maureen * Mark Benton as Vic *

Rhashan Stone Rhashan Stone is an American actor and comedian based in the UK. He is best known for appearing in many comedy shows such as ''Desmond's'' and '' Mutual Friends''. Stone is also a stage actor who has performed in numerous productions for The Ro ...

as Ash * Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Yvonne * Frank Dunne as Danny * Steve Money as Muscles * Rob Witcomb as Gary * Dean Lennox Kelly as Policeman

Production

Although set around the

, most of the action in the film takes place above ground and in

North London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire. The term ''nor ...

and

Cumbria Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. ...

. A scene set in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring count ...

was filmed in Gibraltar.

Controversy

The film, whose filming was carried out in close co-operation with London Underground, has been the cause of controversy due to the plot of the film involving a character seeking someone to commit suicide by diving under his train. Before the film was released, the train drivers' union, ASLEF, called the plot "insulting and foolish" despite not having seen the film and have pointed out that train drivers who experience such incidents find them "life-changing traumas". The union organized a protest at premiere of the film, handing out leaflets to the public, from whom it claims to have received strong support. The filmmakers' spokesperson stated that "difficult issues portrayed in the film have been handled sensitively."

Reception

Box office

''Three and Out'' flopped, entered at number 12 in the UK box office chart with an opening weekend take of £189,454.

Critical response

The film was panned by critics, with criticism focused on the script, direction and overuse of crude humour. On

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wan ...

it has a 17% rating based on 6 reviews.

Awards

2009 *

Oxford International Film Festival The Oxford International Film Festival or OIFF (not to be confused with the Oxford International Film Festival, OXIFF, based in Oxford, England) was established in Oxford, Ohio in 2007 by founder and event director J.C. Schroder. Festival Histo ...

- Won - Best Screenplay *

- Nominated - Best Narrative Feature * Method Fest Independent Film Festival - Won - The Stella Artois Award for Best Foreign Film 2009 * Method Fest Independent Film Festival - Won -

- Stockholm Krystal Best Supporting Actor—Feature Film 2009 * California Independent Film Festival - Won- Best Comedy * California Independent Film Festival - Won - Best Actress -

* Durango Film Festival - Won - Audience Award - Best Feature Film * Durango Film Festival - Won - Jury Award - Best Feature Film * Tallahassee Film Festival - Won - Best Narrative Feature * Garden State Film Festival - Won - International Feature Length Comedy * Honolulu International Festival - Won - Special Mention - Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures * Palm Springs International Film Festival - Official Selection 2009 2008 * Southern Appalachian International Film Festival - Won - Best Comedy or Musical * São Paulo International Film Festival - Nominated - International Jury Award * Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival - Official Selection 2008

Home media

Contender Entertainment Group have released this film on Region 2 DVD on 15 September 2008 in

The United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

. The extra features included cast & crew biographies, deleted scenes, trailers and a featurette on the making of this film. It was rated as a 12 certificate and has a distinct sticker on the front saying Gemma Arterton as the new Bond Girl being in this film. Gemma appears as Agent Fields in the 22nd James Bond film ''

Quantum of Solace ''Quantum of Solace'' is a 2008 spy film and the twenty-second in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sequel to ''Casino Royale'' (2006). Directed by Marc Forster and written by Neil Purvis, Robert Wade, and ...

''.

Soundtrack

The trailer features the tracks " Dreaming of You" by

The Coral The Coral are an English rock band, formed in 1996 in Hoylake on the Wirral Peninsula, Merseyside. The band emerged during the early 2000s. Their 2002 debut album '' The Coral'', from which came the single " Dreaming of You", was nominated ...

, " One Way or Another" by Blondie, "

Spirit in the Sky "Spirit in the Sky" is a song by American singer-songwriter Norman Greenbaum, originally written and recorded by Greenbaum and released in late 1969 from the album of the same name. The single became a gold record, selling two million copies ...

" by

Norman Greenbaum Norman Joel Greenbaum (born November 20, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter. He is primarily known for his 1969 song "Spirit in the Sky". Early life Greenbaum was born in Malden, Massachusetts. He was raised in an Orthodox Jewish household ...

and "Night Time" by N.U.M.B. There is a soundtrack of the same name accompanying this film.

Novelisation

The novelisation of ''Three and Out'' by Tom Henry was released on 14 April 2008 by Rovinge Publishing Company Limited. It is based on the original screenplay by Steve Lewis and Tony Owen and provides a great deal of additional information on the characters' lives as well as answering a number of questions not resolved by the film.

References

External links

* * *
Simon Weller, a train driver, on the movie.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Three And Out 2008 black comedy films 2008 films 2008 comedy-drama films British black comedy films British comedy-drama films Films about suicide Films shot in Cumbria Films scored by Trevor Jones Films set in London Films set on the London Underground Films shot in Liverpool 2000s English-language films 2000s British films