Cert - PG, Run-time - 1 hours 30 minutes,

Director - Jim Archer

You know the film you’re in for with Brian and Charles as soon as central figure, attempting-inventor, Brian (David Earl) reveals his home’s name as Ploxgreen Cottage. It’s a case further set in stone when displaying his cabbage bin and a fridge full of butter. “Is this interesting?” he asks the mockumentary camera crew following him. The answer should be no, but it’s certainly enjoyable to see a film and character go into such levels of simple quirk so early on.

While most of Brian’s inventions are to help the local village, his latest creation, largely made from items lying around his house, appears to be more for himself. A robot with a mannequin head and washing machine tummy which mutually agrees to be called Charles Petrescu (co-writer, alongside Earl, Chris Hayward).

There’s a childlike nature to Charles as he first explores the world around him, better known as Brian’s house and garden. It makes for a number of amusing conversations between the pair, particularly a debate about whether Charles can sit in the front of the van. There’s plenty of easy-going, whimsical British humour running throughout, and it allows for a better connection with the characters.

Earl gives a great performance as the isolated loner, talking to few people apart from June at the shop (Cara Chase) and equally shy Hazel (Louise Brealey). Yet, Brian appears to be content with life, always trying to look on the bright side. When first admiring his robot creation he reflects “building a robot is much like making a cake. You start off wanting a Victoria sponge but end up with a blancmange. That’s alright, because I like blancmanges”, truly keeping the highly British quirkiness at heart.

As Brian and Charles interact with the outside world, especially a tense relationship with nearby farmer Eddie (Jamie Michie), the film’s more familiar elements come through. Certainly in the second half you can feel the more conventional lines being tread, despite the still present humour. Such feelings are perhaps enhanced by the fairly simplistic nature - not necessarily a bad thing - of the largely followed base idea of a man and his self-built robot companion.

While only ninety minutes, the feature adaptation of a twelve minute 2017 short film of the same name does begin to feel more suited to a TV special as the third act develops. Yet, the humour is still present and there’s enough to like about the characters; their oddities, sensibilities and the way in which they fit into the world around them and that which they have created and filled with cabbages.

It may slip into familiarity, but there’s still plenty to like about the quirks on display throughout Brian And Charles. This is a film that knows exactly what tone it wants to achieve and reaches it rather well, without ever feeling as if that’s all that it’s got going for it.

Jamie Skinner - Three stars