Movie Reviews
Movies in Gothic (or, how I spent my winter)
Notes on the movie reviews: Now you may ask why there is a movie review section on the RMBL Gothic weather page. Ah, a good, to the point question. I will give you three reasons. The fact is that when the weather is stormy and snowing and nasty, why what you will want to do is to stay at home and watch a good movie. So i am here to help. Next, watching movies is something i do well. I have gotten pretty good at it (winter does last a while out here). And last, most people that review movies have to make themselves seem respectable. So they will tell you how such and such movie is revolutionary in film making, or this other movie is intellectually thought provoking. I have nothing to lose. I don't review movies, i am an accountant, like Rick Moranis in Ghostbusters (was he cool or what?!). So i have no problem in saying that fluff is good, fluff is great. But let me define what I use as the definition of 'a fluff' movie. It is Not that of a light-headed meaningless movie (though some like that could be) but more one that is in it's basics a kind and sweet story. This could include dramas as well as movies with sadness in them, but still is one that is generally good hearted and uplifting- a feel good movie. So there you go.
Current review: "Ladies in Lavender". This is a bit away from my usual movie fair as it is not
quite a ‘feel good’ type movie, but it is a very good one to watch. “Ladies In Lavender” tells of two sisters, Ursula
and Janet, in the 70 year old range living alone together in the rural coastal
town of Cornwall
in the time just before World War II.
They live a quiet life of knitting and gardening and taking care of day
to day little chores and activities. Everything
is changed when they spot a young man, Andrea, washed up on the shore after a
violent storm. They take him in to their
home to find out he speaks no English which is a bit of a problem at first but
gradually they learn to communicate with him as they nurse him to health. Ursula, was once married or had a serious
boyfriend (they do not say but given the values of the time you would assume
married) who was killed in WWI. She
looks on Andrea as almost a son as she looks over his recovery. However, Janet has lived a very sheltered
life and though she knows these are not feelings she should have, she grows
more and more romantically interested in the man almost 50 years her
junior. It is this relationship that
makes up the main theme of the film.
Janet’s feelings are both tender and real, but also make up
the some of the discomfort found in the story.
There is a painful effect of knowing that this woman, innocent despite
her age, was going to be hurt. And she
knew it as well which makes it almost harder.
To some the age difference may seem difficult to digest but I felt more
the loss someone feels at an unrequited love, regardless if it be a first love
at 12 or a last attempt at happiness at 75.
There are a number of subplots by a number of supporting
charters. Olga Daniloff is a woman painting
while on vacation whose brother is a famous violinist and when she hears Andrea
play she moves towards getting him to London
so his talent can be developed. Both
Ursula and Janet look upon Olga as the evil one, trying to take away their
surrogate son and lover, but in my mind she was the only one who was really out
for what was best for Andrea rather than what they wanted from him. And then
there is the doctor who has his own crush on Olga and upon seeing her with Andrea,
even though there is no hint of romantic involvement between them, starts to
create suspicion of him. Which was not that difficult to do as this was the
time that Germany
was starting its move towards world domination and even though Andrea is Polish
he did speak German. While the
continuous comic relief of the housekeeper Dorcas keeps things lighter.
The cast is wonderful, and of course how could it not be
with Judi Dench as Janet and Maggie Smith as Ursula, as well as Daniel Bruhl
portraying the sensitive but musically determined Andrea. But as in any good character piece the rest of
the cast must contribute or it will eventually fail, and there is no problem
with that here, headed by Miriam Margolyes as Dorcas, Natascha McElhone as Olga
and a very entertaining group of locals.
The countryside is also a major, and soothing, character in the film.
So while not really a light movie this is a tender, and
sometimes uncomfortable and painful, movie and certain worth watching. It may
be more for older audiences- though it is probably a G rated movie- as the
romance is not visual or loud but more subtle than most romantic based films
these days. But no matter, I highly
recommend it.
