Come on, knock out a bit, make way for a woman in lust.
This film by Mark Herman has enough interesting characters that it
really keeps your interest. Brenda Blethyn received an Oscar nomination for her performance, and she deserved it. As the brassy mom who yelled and philandered her husband into an early grave, she is hilarious. I have to say that this is one of the best performances I have seen from Michael Caine as a loser who sees all his dreams go up in smoke. Jim Broadbent was also good as Mr. Boo, a failed comic and nightclub owner. Jane Horrocks was mesmerizing when she sang, especially doing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Ewan McGregor was great as a perfect match for her. The music was beautiful nostalgia and there performances were first rate.. 
Mmmmm
I didn't really want to see this film in the first place - that's why
it's taken 8 years . You need to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate many films, otherwise they just don't "click". But it was quid pro quo for the crappy sci-fi and horror and offbeat "arty-type" films I like to watch occasionally. From all I'd heard about the singing, I thought this film was going to be a musical. So when I realised this wasn't a musical, had Jane Horrocks, Michael Cane and Jim Broadbent in it, I thought it couldn't be all bad. The film seems to have been accepted as a real peach. Sadly it's not, but instead more of a curates egg - good in parts. The singing is good - but not exceptional enough to carry the film on it's own. Michael Cane puts in a very classy performance, and Jane Horrocks certainly does a job with the lines she was given. Jim Broadbent has a marginal, but significant role. Ewan McGregor, does OK with his 5 minutes but his character's involvement after the first 10 minutes seems to be a bit of an afterthought. Annette Badland, is a really excellent actress with a wide range(Archers and Dr Who fans will know this), and was wasted on this part, though she plays it well. Brenda Blethyn must have been told "play an actress who is hamming up a performance as a busty irritating Hilda Ogden on speed". If so, she did a very good job. Somehow it just felt as if they had rehearsed their roles separately, and the director has then taken the first cut on every shoot to get it over with as quickly as possible. Even though I wasn't expecting much from this, it feels like this film could have been so much better than it turned out to be. All in all not a bad film, but somehow it's much less good than the sum of the performances - frustratingly disappointing.. |
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