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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Sarah Dempster

Leonard and Hungry Paul review – this Julia Roberts-narrated comedy is the perfect antidote to modern life

Laurie Kynaston and Alex Lawther are sat on large floor cushions on either side of a round table
Games night … Laurie Kynaston and Alex Lawther in Leonard and Hungry Paul Photograph: BBC/Subotica

On a well-maintained driveway in an unremarkable suburb of Dublin, a small man in a sleeveless jumper is professing a desire to expand his horizons. “I feel myself getting quieter. More invisible,” says Leonard, blinking up at the night sky. “One thing’s led to another and now I feel like if I don’t do something I’ll just carry on in this …” – he searches for a fitting encapsulation of his life – “… minor, harmless existence.” Hungry Paul – Leonard’s best and, indeed, only friend – considers the implications of this announcement. “Nothing wrong with that, though,” he replies, bathrobe flapping thoughtfully in the breeze. “Better than trying to make a mark on the world only to wind up defacing it.”

For those exhausted by the bluster and rat-tat-tat of today’s TV terrain, here is Leonard and Hungry Paul with a foil blanket and warming mug of Ribena.

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