I don’t normally fill up over a film - or even come close to shedding a tear for that matter. In fact I think the last time I let some salty water slip was over the Disney film ‘All Dogs Go to Heaven’ when I was knee high. But this film really had me over a barrel towards the end.
It ended up being a very sad & emotional roller coaster of a ride, beautifully told.
The story in a nut shell is told from the point of view of Oliver (McGregor) as he begins the process of getting over the very recent death of his father Hal (Plummer).
Hal shortly before this death (and after the death of his wife) announces that throughout the whole time he was married (40 odd years) he had in fact been gay. And sets about living the life he has always wanted to live. He gets himself a boyfriend (some strange childish Mexican fella) and integrates himself into the gay community, with his terminal illness ever looming.
This is all told in flashback and for much of the film we go back and forward in time - which on the whole flows quite well. From the gradual deterioration of Hals health (& enjoying his new found life) to Oliver who goes about living what appears to be his rather dull and mundane life as a Graphic Designer. He is also tasked with looking after his fathers dog, who communicates his thoughts and feelings through subtitles (strange but funny).
Until however he meets Anna (Melanie Laurent) who breathes a bit of life into the old dog & the two of them set about having some sort of affair. Laurent is nothing short of gorgeous (both myself and my girlfriend agree) and has a fantastic presence on the screen and as things continue you realise very quickly that Oliver has commitment issues and again from the flash backs we discover why. His dad didn’t seem to be around much and his mother was slightly loopy - confessing to her young son that she is half Jewish, he is a quarter Jewish & his father has no Jewish in him at all.
McGregor plays his part quite well (not being a fan). Plummer is by far the best though and every moment we spend with him as Hal really feels like a nod towards the academy. So watch this space.
I am also a sucker for stylish looking films and this does not disappoint. The cinemtography plays a key part in romanticising our story & drawing you into a quirky little world. Even Oliver's drawings & narration add sense of cool-ness to the picture as a whole.
Compared too many star driven Hollywood pieces of tosh (that grace our screens way too often), this film draws a fresh look upon the genre.
My only beef with this flick would be that perhaps the pace of the film could be a little slow at times -Thankfully though I noticed after this critical thought that I wouldn't have had it any other way.
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