|
A Home at the End of the World
Michael Mayer / USA 2004 / 97 min / DVD
With: Colin Farrell/Erik Smith (Bobby),
Dallas Roberts/Harris Allan (Jonathan), Robin Wright Penn (Clare),
Sissy Spacek (Alice), Matt Frewer (Ned)
Turku: Sat Nov 19 at 17.00 / Kino Thalia, sali 1
.
Helsinki: Sat Nov 26 at 16.00 / Andorra
Families are what love is all about
This film based on a novel by Michael
Cunningham of the same name starts off from 1967, when the family of a 9-year-old Bobby leads a happening life: trendy parents organize fun house parties, while Bobby's love-sick big brother shows him the beauty of music, love and marihuana. But when one party ends in disaster, the light is snuffed out in a heartbeat.
Years later the now teenaged Bobby's family is filled with more ghosts than life. But Bobby still carries within him the lessons taught by his brother, and manages to hold on to his open and loving nature. In school he makes friends with the unpopular and shy Jonathan, who while confused couldn't be happier about the attention. Jonathan's parents, Alice and Ned, know the unfortunate history of Bobby's family and become sort of foster parents to him. Spontaneous Bobby brings a taste of youth especially to the life of Alice, while Jonathan with his newfound self-confidence approaches Bobby as more than a friend. To which Bobby has no objections.
Bobby's life changes again, when Jonathan leaves home to find himself. While Alice and Ned move to another state, Bobby goes after Jonathan. In the 1980's New York Jonathan has emerged as an intelligent and stylish gay man and is living with an eccentric hat-maker Clare, who wants to have a child with Jonathan. While Bobby fits in well both to this new family and to the city, Jonathan has grown accustomed to one-night stands and keeps avoiding Bobby's love. Clare on the other hand has a crush on Bobby, who isn't putting up much of a fight.
Secret desires and irritations, and the sparks caused by them fuse Bobby, Clare and Jonathan together as a family, which defies traditional norms. The film has several exceptional individual scenes, and the acting is marvellous. Young Erik
Smith and Harris Allan are believable as stumbling teenagers, while Sissy
Spacek shines in bringing Alice to life. The characters played by Colin
Farrell, Robin Wright Penn and Dallas
Roberts are both amusingly light-hearted and honestly touching. The character of Bobby reminds the viewer of another wonderful innocent, Amélie. In these times of unsavoury characters, it is remarkable to find people with the irresistible ability to make others feel good and loved.
NOTE!
Finnish subtitles.
www
wip.warnerbros.com/ahome
Text by
Marko Rumbin
|
