Tom Sharpes' acid wit is brought to life in this sardonic swipe at the Police Forces who 'protect and serve' us, and bureaucracy, served up on the same plate with our sympathy being evoked for Wilty. Causing us to ponder on the lives of those other poor devils who are obliged to try and teach in similar environments.

Its seems obvious where Sharpe's sympathies lie in the book and this transposes well to the film, the characters of Wilt and Inspector Flint are portrayed brilliantly by that well known comedy duo 'Smith & Jones'. The dialogue, as in the book, is magic!

Wilt being tied to a Blow-Up doll, falsely accused of murder, and vainly protesting his innocence. Maintaining the theme of farce, the piece of evidence that could have 'cleared' him, had been used by a toilet-roll challenged Wilt to serve an urgent 'bathroom' need.

Tom Sharpe's literary swipes at the corrupt, powerful, snobbish and any other eligible targets never fail to deliver with copious doses of humour, irreverent and bizarre situations and truck loads of irony. To see his books brought to life on film or TV is precious and not to be missed.

This film is hugely entertaining. I would suggest an 'evening in' with the DVD and any other like minded individuals and be entertained. Really entertained.


WILT   January 17, 2004
 2 out of 4 found this review helpful

This film is absolutely F**king hilarious. Griff Rhys Jones is superb as the Uptight college lecturer Henry Wilt who is constantly sarcastic as ever, but the star of the show is undoubtably Mel Smith who plays the very over ambitious Inspecter Flint who is hell bent on nailing an innocent man for murder, just so he can grease his way up the ranks. Alison Steadman is amusing as Wilt's wife. This film still makes me crease up 15 years after it was made. Look out for Charles Lawson (alias Jim Macdonald from Corrie)


A good adaptaion of the book to film.   December 4, 2003
 2 out of 2 found this review helpful

If you are a Tom Sharpe fan this is a must have. The story is quite faithful to the book, although deviating a bit at the end of the movie. I've shown it to people who have not read the book and apart from bursting with laughter most of them got started on the books as well. The picture quality is not perfect at times (a bit grainy) and subtitles are available in english only. I still recommend this buy.