"You
were tender and true... and that is unusual."
I recently watched an absolutely brilliant film
on HBO. "The Girl in the Cafe" stars
Bill Nighy and Kelly Macdonald in what I am sure
will be one of the very best films of the 2005.
The film is rife with political
intelligence as it is set against the backdrop
of an actual summit to fight world poverty being
held in Reykjavik, Iceland. This film is a
perfect compliment to the Live 8 worldwide
concert held to raise awareness about the
summit.
However, what makes this film
work is the combination of that emotional weight
with a spectacularly romantic love story, delicately
balanced and bittersweet, insightful and
poignant.
The understated romance is
eerily reminiscent of the one in the 2003
masterpiece, "Lost in Translation" but adds an
air of innocence that the earlier film replaces
with sly wit.
The performances in "The Girl
in the Cafe" are two of the best you will see
this year. Kelly MacDonald has one of
those poetic faces that can convey a million
ideas with one pondered thought. Bill
Nighy is neurotic and gentle and magnificent as
the older man who is spectacularly unsure about
his ability to attract this younger woman.
This is one of the finest on-screen romances
I've seen in a good long while. It is a fresh
twist on something that can Hollywood can often
make stale and rehashed.
The two characters in this film are adorable,
seemingly mismatched and yet a perfect
relationship forms. Nighy & Macdonald deliver
Oscar worthy performances... it is shame that
this TV movie won't qualify under the Academy's
rulebook.
The film will, with 100% certainty, appeal to
those who loved "Lost in Translation" and it
will probably resonate with many of those who
didn't like the characters in that film as much
as the rest of us.
I also want to point out one
of the best soundtracks of 2005... the music is
brilliant and is used in ways that will have you
shivering with goosebumps.
Girls... Get your hankies! Guys... Be
prepared to get up and get a beer from the
fridge so your girlfriend won't see you cry!
Although, if you do cry, you should let her see
how tender and true you are... because that is
unusual.
"The Girl in the Cafe" is superb in every way.
It is a guaranteed lock for my year-end Top Ten
List... Because, unlike the Oscars, I don't have
a rule saying that it can't be included.
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©
Written by TC Candler
Richard
Propes' Comment
n/a
Jacob
Hall's Comment
n/a
