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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Wendy Ide

Bank of Dave review – Rory Kinnear lifts real-life Burnley local hero drama

Rory Kinnear in Bank of Dave.
Rory Kinnear in Bank of Dave. Netflix Photograph: Netflix

Inspired by the true story of Dave Fishwick, a self-made millionaire from Burnley who set up a community bank to support local businesses, this is a feelgood underdog tale of ordinary folks sticking it to the Eton-educated financial elite. With its rabble-rousing regionalism (the word “London” is delivered with such disdain, it might as well have been dipped in raw sewage), the film has much in common with the Cornish sea shanty picture Fisherman’s Friends, including, in Chris Foggin, a director. A romantic subplot between Joel Fry and Phoebe Dynevor feels surplus to requirements, but Rory Kinnear gives a robustly likable performance as Dave, somewhat redeeming this unashamedly formulaic crowd-pleaser.

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