Very Annie Mary

Beware the quirky Britcom--especially the kind that takes place in a quiet little village--as they can (and will) turn on a dime from oddly humorous to tediously sentimental. Such is the case with this comedy-drama about a slightly feeble-witted, childlike woman played by Rachel Griffiths (Six Feet Under, The Rookie), whose wannabe-singer dreams are routinely quashed by her terribly domineering father, played by Jonathan Pryce (Brazil, Evita). While the performances are above reproach, writer-director Sara Sugarman just can't seem to get away from her parade of stock eccentrics--everywhere Annie Mary goes there's, say, a frisky pastor who erotically fondles sponge cake and orders scratch-and-sniff Bibles for his parish, or a trio of housewives lip-syncing to Tina Turner songs. The wonderful 1998 film Little Voice covered a lot of the same territory with much better results. Not a necessary purchase. (R. Blackwelder)