With its affection for loopy gadgets, unlikely friendships, and large vegetables, the new UK comedy “Brian and Charles” resembles a live-action Aardman film. (Think “Wallace & Gromit” shot to look like a documentary.)
On a new Be Reel, I chat with director Jim Archer (“The Young Offenders,” “Big Boys”) about his debut feature. Here’s the setup: like a pastoral Geppetto, kooky inventor Brian (comedian David Earl) builds a 7-foot-tall robot he dubs Charles (operated by Earl’s co-writer Chris Hayward). At first, of course, Charles is just a workshop miracle, but he soon wants to explore the Welsh countryside and all the world has to offer this ungainly embodiment of artificial intelligence. In the conversation below, Archer discusses some of his film’s documentary inspirations, shopping for mannequin heads and how to direct an actor who’s inside a box. “Brian and Charles” is in theaters now from Focus Features.
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