8/10Coming to terms intimately
with life, love and death is this touching story of a father-son
relationship brought into sharp focus as the father slowly dies
of cancer. It's based on Blake Morrison’s honest and moving
account of his father’s death, which inspired a whole genre
of family confessional memoirs.
Arthur Morrison (Jim Broadbent) and wife Kim (Juliet
Stevenson) are GPs in the same practice, with two children Gillian
(Clair Skinner) and older brother Blake (Colin Firth). Blake an
author in his 40's is now facing his father’s terminal illness.
In a series of flashbacks we come to know the family and their
traits. Arthur is a bit of an old scoundrel who loves bucking
the system and getting freebies whenever he can.
The childhood episodes introduce us to Aunt Beaty
(Sarah Lancashire) and daughter Josie, suggesting that Arthur
may be having an affair with Beaty and in fact Josie might be
Arthur’s love child. The father-son relationship is further
explored in flashbacks to a family holiday, and Blake’s
fumbled affair with the maid, where the shy awkward lad is made
feel small by his father’s extroverted personality.
But we see the happier times also; such as well-conceived
sequences involving Blake learning to drive under his father’s
guidance, a washed out camping adventure, and Arthur’s farewell
to Blake as he leaves for University. In the present day, it's
quite clear Arthur still dominates his son. Blake desperately
tries to come to terms with their relationship and determine the
truth about Aunt Beaty, as his father succumbs to the pain and
frustration of his illness.
The cast is impeccable. Colin Firth proving he’s
a very worthy actor giving a marvelously sensitive performance
light years away from Mr. Darcy or Mamma Mia!. Equally
Jim Broadbent (Vera Drake) wrings the most out of his
emotional portrayal of the bumptious but in the end memorable
dad. He manages the difficult act of being an annoying old codger
yet caring if unemotional parent. It’s a really masterful
characterization. As Blake the teenager Matthew Beard also gives
a very creditable performance. Juliet Stevenson (Infamous)
excels as the dispirited wife, putting up with Arthur’s
romantic misbehaving and finally becoming his nurse as the illness
progresses.
the film is helmed confidently by Anand Tucker (Shopgirl)
bringing out the best in his cast, and enabling a sympathetic
realization of the family saga. The cinematography and editing
are of high standard, telling some of the story through images
alone. Perhaps the cameraman’s fixation with tricky mirror
shots does gets wearisome, yet overall the compositions and camera
movements complement and extend the emotional impact. There’s
a use of dramatic closeups much of the time, with music which
is most appropriate. In an early scene we even see a glimpse of
Ingmar Berman’s flashback technique from Wild Strawberries.
Trailer for the
film
The final emotional scene of And When Did You
Last See Your Father will leave few eyes dry in the audience
there’s a real tug to the heart strings. Girls be warned
bring two handkerchiefs. Yet this is by no means a dismal or gloomy
exercise. It leaves you satisfied you’ve seen a movie of
worth. A finely crafted film, British to the bootstraps but universal
in its appeal.
At the moment we’re regaled with films like
this one about the problems of old age (The Savages,
How About You) aimed at a mature audience or zany comedies
(Zohan, The Love Guru) directed at the younger
crowd. Extreme opposites doing the rounds.
8/10
Coming to terms intimately
with life, love and death is this touching story of a father-son
relationship brought into sharp focus as the father slowly dies
of cancer. It's based on Blake Morrison’s honest and moving
account of his father’s death, which inspired a whole genre
of family confessional memoirs.