The Independent noted on Thursday that Lucky Break, starring James Nesbitt and Olivia Williams, took only $506,000 on its opening week, despite considerable advertising including a star-studded premiere last week at the Edinburgh film Festival.

The film managed only number eight on the UK box-office chart but the article blamed that and comparable failures on a lack of investment in British films.

With the $109m spent on films made in the UK during the first six months of this year, against $320m from the same period a year ago, the article maintained that without a significant cash injection British films will rarely achieve the $100m benchmark achieved by Bridget Jones' Diary recently.

Meanwhile, the Working Title blockbuster is expected to beat the takings of their Four Weddings and A Funeral.

More than half of the $100m was made in the UK, where the film has become one of the most successful films ever, but it still has some way to before overtaking Notting Hill's $245m worldwide.