Dir: Peter Cattaneo. UK. 2001. 108mins

The Full Monty has been an impossible act to follow. Producer Umberto Pasolini's whimsical follow up Closer To You and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy's depressing The Darkest Light were minor footnotes to the ongoing global phenomenon of the steelworker strippers. Director Peter Cattaneo has waited longer and chosen more wisely, and his jocular, good-natured prison comedy Lucky Break has the easy charm and warm heart of a definite crowd-pleaser. The two films share a common theme of men desperate to escape the reality of their lives and are both ensemble pieces - but the comparisons end there. Written by Ronan Bennett, Lucky Break is a broader, less gritty affair and proves much more adept at milking a punchline than tugging at the heartstrings. Commercially, it would be folly to expect that lightning will strike twice but Lucky Break is one of the brighter box-office prospects to emerge from Britain this year. Furthermore, the presence of James Nesbitt - a hugely popular star on British television in the comedy-drama series Cold Feet - should greatly enhance the film's commercial appeal at home. However, its particularly British feel may render it less of a sure bet for international success.

Once a staple element of British cinema, the prison break-out/bungled bank robbery comedy has become 2001's unlikeliest comeback kid. Scheduled for domestic release on August 24, Lucky Break will arrive in British cinemas in the wake of the dismal High Heels And Low Lifes and the amiable The Parole Officer, a first starring vehicle for popular television comic Steve Coogan. Festival favourite Greenfingers is also waiting in the wings.

Unapologetically old-fashioned in tone, Lucky Break invites memories of 1960s Peter Sellers romps like Two Way Stretch and The Wrong Arm Of The Law and faces strong competition on its home turf from abiding audience affection for long-running and oft-repeated television sit-com Porridge. Here, James Nesbitt brings a good deal of loveable rogue charm to the central role of smalltime crook Jimmy. Arrested during an ineptly handled bank robbery in which he abandons mate Rudy (Lennie James), he is subsequently sentenced to 12 years for armed robbery. Five years later, he is transferred to a more rustic prison where he soon takes a shine to Prison Support therapist Annabel (Olivia Williams).

Naturally, Rudy is also at the prison and once they have agreed to forgive and forget the duo soon set their minds to thoughts of the great escape. Jimmy's master plan hinges on exploiting the vanity of Governor Mortimer (Plummer), an avuncular eccentric with a passion for old Broadway musicals. Jimmy persuades the prison populace to stage a production of the Governor's own magnum opus Nelson: The Musical, hoping that the backstage chaos will provide the perfect distraction for his escapology endeavours.

Although regarding his characters with the same affection and compassion that he brought to the humbled workers in Simon Beaufoy's script for The Full Monty, Cattaneo has much less promising material to work from in Bennett's screenplay. Filled with stock characters (the sadistic screw, the gullible governor etc) and obvious situations, Bennett's writing is constantly in search of an easy laugh and builds each moment towards the kind of glib pay-off that distinguishes the most formulaic of television sitcoms. Although not unexpected, the sudden suicide of a much loved prisoner jars and the frequent attempts at pathos seem misplaced in what is generally a lighthearted, lightweight lark.

Strong performances are the backbone of the film. Nesbitt - who sports a convincing hairpiece and trimmed eyebrows for his role - and Williams bring a sincerity and sparkle to an impossible romance that progresses from sassy flirtation to full blown love. The film is also packed with reliable character actors making the most of often sketchily conceived roles. Firmly established as one of British cinema's most reliable and versatile performers, Timothy Spall brings real heart to the bullied, lovelorn Gumball; Bill Nighy lends a wonderfully louche touch to the kind of upper crust crook that might once have been played by Dennis Price or George Sanders; and Ron Cook evokes memories of Lionel Jeffries as the killjoy warden Mr Perry.

Although it may seem like a cute in-joke to cast the veteran star of The Sound Of Music as a besotted admirer of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Christopher Plummer is an inspired choice. More readily associated with recent dramatic successes like The Insider, he reveals a rarely exploited gift for comedy and exceptional timing in a performance that leaves you wanting to see much more of his character. A special word of praise must go to the hilarious lyrics for Nelson-The Musical which were specially written by satirist Stephen Fry, who took the lead in 1997's Wilde.

Prod cos: Fragile Films, Lucky Break Productions
Int'l sales: FilmFour International
Exec prods: Paul Webster, Hanno Huth
Prods: Barnaby Thompson, Peter Cattaneo
Scr: Ronan Bennett
Cinematography: Alwin Kuchler
Prod des: Max Gottlieb
Ed: David Gamble
Music: Anne Dudley
Main cast: James Nesbitt, Olivia Williams, Timothy Spall, Bill Nighy, Lennie James, Christopher Plummer