By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.5 cats
Director: Tim Fywell
Starring: Bill Nighy | Henry Thomas | Marc Blucas | Romola Garai | Rose Byrne | Sinead Cusack
Country: united_kingdom
Year: 2003
Running time: 111
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0300015
Laura says: “This small BBC film, adapted from One Hundred and One Dalmatians author Dodie Smith’s novel, immerses its audience into another time and place just like a good read on a rainy day. Director Tim Fywell (TV’s ‘Norma Jean & Marilyn’) ably guides a large cast and multi-threaded storyline within two distinctly different environments.
“A man (Nighy) with two little girls crests a verdant hill and a castle tower appears in the distance. ‘How would you like to live there?’ he asks the youngest. ‘Can we?’ she responds with awed disbelief. The seventeen year old Cassandra sees her home through different eyes.
The Mortmains are destitute, the castle cold and remote. One night, after Rose has declared she’ll become a streetwalker and stepmom Topaz is ‘releasing’ by prancing outside in the rain nude, Cassandra hears a knock on the door from her fireside bath. Enter Simon, who mistakes Cassie for someone younger, and Neil, quickly followed by Topaz who wastes no time calling Rose downstairs. Rose sees Simon as the family’s redemption and is determined to land him. By the time she does, everyone but Simon will be pining for someone else.
“Romola Garai, who narrates from Cassie’s diary (like father, like daughter), grounds this film full of contrasts with her terrific quicksilver performance. Her youthful appearance (her father is continually amazed when reminded of her advanced age), enhanced by a blonde blunt cut, is transformed by the actress into a more womanly one by temporarily casting aside awkward body language and letting her eyes soften. Understanding what is best for everyone, she takes strong action with her father (‘You aren’t respected – you’re indulged’), forcing him past writer’s block and the egotistical dalliance that has driven Topaz away, before giving up her heart’s desire if she cannot have it on her own terms. Garai makes Cassandra a heroine of the heart and the mind. Rose Byrne turns an unsophisticated romantic into an almost steely opportunist, before an intervention allows her to double back with maturity. Nighy balances the desperation of a man unconvinced of his talent with the hermetic ego of a pampered artist and remains sympathetic. When he finally faces his fears in the presence of his daughter, Nighy is truly moving. Thomas is fine as a decent young man, but when Simon lets his reserve drop for one impulsive evening, the actor plays into his costar’s POV rather than choosing a more ambiguous stance. Blucas is all American bluster, masking true feelings in a boyish, figuratively pigtail-pulling way. Sinead Cusack (PASSION OF MIND) is dead-on as Mrs. Cotton, a pragmatic American cognizant
that bad behavior can be motivated by good intentions.
“This coming of age story, adapted by Heidi Thomas, encompasses humor and heartbreak amidst all kinds of contrasts. When the
girls learn they’ve inherited an aunt’s wardrobe, they travel into London where it resides in cold storage at Simpson’s department store. They’re entranced by the sophistication of bottled perfume (scented with the bluebells that grow wild about their country home) and face the snobbery of a clerk (the scene is turned on its head when Rose revisits with her future mother-in-law). The film almost enters slapstick when the Rose and Cassie return, respectively wearing the hideous bear and monkey coats they’ve inherited (the center segment of a running joke on Rose’s unfortunate clothing). Spying the Cottons on the railway platform, they slink under a fence. Neil spots Rose’s red hair and calls for a bear hunt. This silliness is later revealed to have off-screen significance that foreshadows both Neil and Rose’s futures.
“The film is visually lush, the green richness of the country contrasted with a blue-gray elegance in the city. Music is carefully chosen, ‘You and the Night and the Music’ providing a modern period theme.” 3 1/2 cats
Review courtesy of Reeling Reviews