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Who is James Payton? In simple terms, James Payton is a working actor. You may have seen him in a role before. He is known for his brief appearances in two popular franchises: he played Neville Longbottom’s father in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and portrayed Hitler in the first Captain America movie. Payton has also played the roles of a “geography lecturer” in The Crown and a “wasted guy” in a poorly received thriller starring Jonathan Pryce in 2005. However, his involvement in these two franchises has allowed him to participate in regional fan conventions as a side job, where he sells autographed photos of himself for £10.
The movie follows Payton as he attends various conventions, where devoted fans of the franchise gather to take selfies with the father of one of Harry Potter’s friends. Payton questions how he ended up in this situation, as he had always hoped to one day receive a Bafta nomination for his work in a TV detective show. It would be easy to make fun of the situation. However, this documentary is a mix of The Office and The Trip, with elements of Withnail and I. (There is a particularly entertaining moment where a young child taunts some lackluster wrestlers.) Despite the challenges of staying in cheap hotels and having downtime in empty community centers, Payton maintains a dry sense of humor and finds the humor in these situations.
Returning to the title, I am uncertain if the film adequately addresses the question in a fulfilling way. I would have appreciated further exploration from director Oliver Guy-Watkins on the effects of Payton’s father’s death when he was 12 (which influenced his decision to pursue acting), his divorce, and his relationship with failure in an industry where it is common. The film can be somewhat exasperating to watch at times, posing more of a question of “Who is James Payton?” rather than “Why should we care?”
Source: theguardian.com
