Skip to main content

How About You (2007)

Friday, February 13, 2009

How About You. Feature film. (2007, 100 mins) IMDB

...Since the films is about English characters, there is lots of eccentricity...

A

quiet film with a small cast of eccentric characters. Although it's an Irish film, it's set in England and stars British actors including the famous and unstoppable Venessa Redgrave. Has she ever given a bad performance? And, how many actresses envy her career? I suspect there are a number of actresses who would love to have her longevity. In 1995 at the age of 58, she starred in the feature film A MONTH BY THE LAKE where she plays a love interest. How many actresses can say that? Not many.

But I should comment on this film.

The film opens with Bobby Darin singing HOW ABOUT YOU and it sets the tone. I know many classic songs whether sung by Armstrong, Fitzgerald, Cole, Sinatra, Crosby, Bennett, Krall and, unfortunately, a small canon by Darin, but this isn't one of them and it's completely different from Sinatra's version from the 1940s. This upbeat song invites you into this comedy and I loved it. Later we hear Fitzgerald sing HAVE YOURSELF A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS and we want to listen to that voice. So clear. So strong. The third song has Nat King Cole sing LET THERE BE LOVE.

I mention these songs, not just because I like them, but because it's unusual for any film from Ireland or the UK to feature well-known American standards. It's partially a cultural issue, but it's also a money issue. I'm sure the producers had to pay some large dollars to get the rights to use these songs in the film.

Anyway, how about I mention the story. There is a narrative. Ellie is a wandering young woman who returns to her sister's home seeking support and shelter and reluctantly it's given, but since this isn't a typical home, the older sister runs a retirement home in a large old house, Ellie is given a uniform and vacuum cleaner and put to work. She reluctantly gives in. She cleans and cleans some more and gets to know some of the residents. All old. All a bit miserable and demanding and nearly impossible to deal with.

Act II is about an improbably scenario. It's Christmas and most of the staff and residents have gone away to be with family. This includes the older sister. Ellie is left behind to care for four residents who are a pain the in the butt. The arc of the story is how she gets them to lighten up, be less miserable etc. By the stories end, these five have come together as a new family. They cook a giant Christmas meal.

It's all a bit trite, and sentimental, too feel good for some, but it works for the most part. We do get to know them and want to watch them. There are even secrets revealed, regrets voiced and we wonder what other secrets, what other regrets there might be.

Posted 2009/02/13 at 16h54ET in Movie Commentary.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If Only We Could Agree

Monday, June 11, 2012 ... have you been accused of misspelling a word you know is correct ... S usanne O’Leary wrote an interesting article on her experience with the variations of the English language in different countries. You know the obvious ones like colour with or without a “u” but less obvious ones like travelled versus traveled. Growing up in Sweden she learnt English in school—the UK variation. In publishing her books, she read reviews where she was criticized for improper spelling. False accusations as it turns out. While I write tire and cozy, it’s not incorrect to write tyre or cosy. Same language. Both accepted. Just different. You can read her write-up here along with the numerous comments posted by readers. I found it interesting, but that’s me. As a Canadian I deal with this issue everyday. I feel her pain when she’s criticized for something based on ignorance. No fun. I was told by a boss that “data are” isn’t correct. It should be “data is.” Read...
2 comments
Read more

CRA & E-Filing

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 ... Online Tax Services Suspended by CRA ... I received an email press release from the Canada Revenue Agency late on Tuesday stating they were shutting down the computer that processed e-filed personal tax returns. For many tax preparers the announcement means they will have to file paper returns or wait for the system to come back on, but it could be a long wait. Until we can announce a business recovery date, the Agency will provide daily updates to the media on the steps we are taking. On the surface, e-filing a return makes sense because it is more efficient, but at present it only makes sense for simple returns. If you file a return beyond a T4 and an RRSP deduction, you can expect follow-up letters requesting original receipts. For accountants, this hassle means additional time—time that usually can't be recovered. As result, many accountants file paper returns for their benefit. What is required is a system that allows the recei...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Crusades (1935)

Sunday, March 29, 2009 The Crusades. Feature film. (1935, 125 mins) IMDB ... a Hollywood romance with swords thrown in ... T he title is extremely misleading. The film is not about the crusades but a love story set in the midst of a crusade led by King Richard. Richard never spoke English and barely even lived on the British isles. He was a Norman who spoke French, but you wouldn't know that from this film. The filmmakers also want you to believe the King would have been caught up in something as trivial as love. Not a chance. Marriage wasn't about love. It was about matters of state, about power, and with that power, wealth. A true-to-history film about King Richard and the Crusades would lack romance and therefore wouldn't appeal to a broad audience. What we have in this film is nothing more than a love story. Richard is betrothed to Alice, the sister of King Philip of France. He doesn't want to marry her. He decides to go on the crusad...
Post a Comment
Read more