A Merry War Reviewed by Bruce Cantwell When one thinks of lightweight romantic comedy, the name George Orwell doesn't immediately come to mind. But as the source of this very witty, lighter than air treatise on the relative merits of poetry and commerce, the author of "1984" and "Animal Farm" surpasses himself. Gordon Comstock (Richard E. Grant) isn't happy with his work. He churns out copy to sell mundane household products. A Times Literary Supplement review of his poetry has gotten under his skin. When Comstock's boss Erskine (Jim Carter) calls him in to offer him a promotion (Erskine likes to allow his employees to create fanciful job titles leaving them to bring up salary increases), Comstock makes a counter offer, his one-week's notice. "I'm a poet and a free man," he proudly proclaims. But Comstock's freedom is an increased burden to everyone around him. His understanding publisher Ravelston (Julian Wadham) interrupts an afternoon tryst to help find him a job at a bookstore. His waitress sister Julia (Harriet Walker) whom he is already hitting up for loans, dreads her brother's new pestering potential. And his new found independence is sure to crimp his dating style with his graphic designer girlfriend Rosemary (Helena Bonham Carter). There's nothing more at stake here than a not-so-young man's ego so it is vitally important that a comic actor of Richard E. Grant's stature fill Comstock's shoes. Few actors could make the way Comstock glowers at window shoppers so funny. As in the "Jeeves and Wooster" stories, the inevitability of a happy ending allows one to savor the foolish behavior without the fear of backpeddling to sympathize. All of the supporting characters wryly observing Comstock as he digs himself a deeper hole add considerably to the fun. One of the best supporting performances comes from Bill Wallis as Lambeth bookstore owner Mr. Cheeseman. It's clear that he thinks Comstock is out of his mind for trying to write books. Cheeseman does not even read them but understands that there is a pound or two to be made in selling them. Alan Pater's dialogue sets the crisp, witty tone for this amiable diversion. And although, the happy end is inevitable, one wonders just a bit what Orwell actually thought of such pedestrian aspirations.

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