Loan shark or benefactor?

Dave Fishwick has made a fortune furnishing vans in Burnley, formerly one of Northern England’s boom towns, now a boondocks backwater of Britain.

Dave, through a combination of hustle and hard work, has done well for himself-so well that in the wake of the last financial crisis, he started lending money at reduced rates to both his customers and to local businesses. When some of those businesses started making money, they asked Dave to reinvest it for them. This gave Dave an idea. Why not set up a tiny local bank that uses local money to fund local enterprise? He will call it: The Bank of Dave.

The Financial U.K authorities haven’t granted a new bank license for over a century and a half and, if they did, the upper class wanker bankers wouldn’t license someone like Dave, suburban upstart car salesman.

And so the stage is set for a Dave versus Goliath battle, where the establishment unleashes the dogs of war and the underdog retaliates with a Def Leppard.

Playing by the book, Dave engages a law firm to start proceedings and they send a hotshot called Hugh, who reluctantly journeys to his idea of Hicksville, only to be charmed by Dave, his family and friends.

The first battle takes place in front of the Burley magistrates where Hugh’s virtuoso performance wins the day. But the banks try a different tack, approving Dave’s application but imposing impossible financial conditions.

Dave mortgages everything he owns and tries‘ crowdfunding’ the remainder, but it’s not until the idea of a tribute concert, fronted by legendary band Def Leppard, that they get close to their goal. The concert takes place at the Burnley football stadium and is a sellout but will it be enough?

THE BANK OF DAVE is an unabashed feel good movie that delights in common sense, karaoke, and the comeuppance of the ruling class.

Rory Kinnear is so bloody likeable as Dave there’s no no wonder why folk would trust their hard earned with him.

As his nemesis, Hugh Bonneville is suitably hissable as the born to rule dirty trickster snob. He is the pin striped poo on the shoe of the working class.