Writing that date has made me realise just how long it is I've been putting off writing this!
This film left me in a little bit of confusion. Starring two of my all time favourite actors (Sam Riley playing Pinkie and Helen Mirren playing Ida) I was expecting to be singing it's praises before I'd even taken to my seat.
This was not quite the case. While I thoroughly enjoyed all acting performances and found Andrea Riseborough in her role as Rose particularly captivating, I don't think much could have salvaged the confused setting. Taking the 1938 novel, with the original film in 1947, it is clear Rowan Joffe has cut a few corners to make it work in the context of the 1960s youth revolution. While I think it is a nice idea, and in theory it works, transferred onto screen it feels slightly odd and misplaced.
Having said all this, you can see why the 60s was chosen as the setting, with the Mods and Rockers gang violence being able to play alongside Pinkie's gang versus Colleoni's (Andy Serkis). Also, the fashion of the 60s allows Rose's journey from tea shop waitress to gangsters wife to be captured through the way she dresses.
With a blistering cast of some of Britains finest young and old talent, performance strength is unquestionable. I think this remake just left me feeling like it was unfinished and unpolished with a vast amount of content and character development left by the wayside.
No comments:
Post a Comment