This morning I saw 45 Years, starring Charlotte Rampling and Tom Courtenay.
Kate (Rampling) has loved Geoff (Courtenay) all of her adult life. The pair have been married for nearly 45 years and are in the midst of planning a party to commemorate that. What's normal for many is customary for them too—each have their rituals like reading the paper and walking the dog, though they're often done apart.
When the body of Geoff's first love, Katya, is found on the mountain he long left her on after she fell during a hike, their long-dormant marital tension comes to a head. You see, Geoff didn't tell Kate about Katya. Didn't mention that they were on the verge of marriage before he met her; or that her death had traumatized him ever since.
When Katya's perfectly preserved 27-year-old body surfaces (she's been frozen in the snow until now), Geoff's pent-up sorrow for his lost love does as well. This, of course, raises questions about what else he's been keeping from his wife all of these years. If he can hold a secret that serious for that long, upon what has their entire relationship been based?
This is a film that shows, not tells. This is a film that communicates pain through the faces of its actors; not through dialog. This is a film that moves along at a quiet pace, as life does when something tragic lingers in the air.
It's not an enjoyable movie to endure, but Rampling's performance is certainly worth its Oscar nomination, and watching her work will leave you speechless.
It will also leave you questioning every relationship you've ever had.
~~~
Showing posts with label elderly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label elderly. Show all posts
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Sunday, February 04, 2007
Venus
Today I saw Venus, starring Peter O'Toole.
It's an unconventional love story about a young girl named Jessie (Jodie Whittaker) who moves in with her elderly great-uncle to help him around the house and develops a friendship with his equally elderly friend Morris (O'Toole).
The friendship crosses the line by way of neck sniffing and shoulder kisses, but in a wierd way it's not as bothersome as it sounds. Some have compared this movie to Lolita and I can understand why, but the main difference is that the heroine in this story (Venus) is of consenting age.
Peter O'Toole's performance has been hailed as one of the finest in 2006. I can't disagree with that, but he still doesn't get my pick for the Best Actor Oscar. I believe he's deserved it on many occasions, but this is not one of them. Here he is perhaps portraying the closest thing to himself rather than his competitors in the category (Gosling as a drug-addict; DiCaprio as a diamond trader from another continent; Whitaker as a dictator; Smith as a poverty-stricken dad). It's true this is probably his last great role, but to me that doesn't warrant a statue.
Overall, the film is pleasant enough to watch save for the moments of discomfort during a few borderline sexual scenes. An element of sweetness ultimately saves it, but I suspect seniors will embrace this film more than the average thirty/fortysomething viewer.
It's an unconventional love story about a young girl named Jessie (Jodie Whittaker) who moves in with her elderly great-uncle to help him around the house and develops a friendship with his equally elderly friend Morris (O'Toole).
The friendship crosses the line by way of neck sniffing and shoulder kisses, but in a wierd way it's not as bothersome as it sounds. Some have compared this movie to Lolita and I can understand why, but the main difference is that the heroine in this story (Venus) is of consenting age.
Peter O'Toole's performance has been hailed as one of the finest in 2006. I can't disagree with that, but he still doesn't get my pick for the Best Actor Oscar. I believe he's deserved it on many occasions, but this is not one of them. Here he is perhaps portraying the closest thing to himself rather than his competitors in the category (Gosling as a drug-addict; DiCaprio as a diamond trader from another continent; Whitaker as a dictator; Smith as a poverty-stricken dad). It's true this is probably his last great role, but to me that doesn't warrant a statue.
Overall, the film is pleasant enough to watch save for the moments of discomfort during a few borderline sexual scenes. An element of sweetness ultimately saves it, but I suspect seniors will embrace this film more than the average thirty/fortysomething viewer.
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