Brian and Charles

Brian lives alone in the Welsh countryside and makes inventions, none of which work. One day he tries building a robot out of a washing machine he found at the dump and a mannequin head, and on a night he was not expecting anything, it works. It names itself Charles, learns words from a dictionary, and soon wants much more than Brian will allow: Charles wants to leave Wales and see the world. Jim Archer grew the film out of a short made with the same team, and David Earl and Chris Hayward both wrote it and play it. The comedy proceeds in an entirely straight tone, in mock documentary form. The subject is not the robot but a lonely man learning to look after someone. Who it is for: viewers who like British absurdist comedy and low-budget invention. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a fast joke rate.