1999
D: Atom Egoyan
W: William Trevor (novel); Atom Egoyan (screenplay)
C: Bob Hoskins, Arsinée Khanjian, Elaine Cassidy, Sheila Reid, Nizwar Karanj, Ali Yassine, Peter McDonald, Kriss Dosanjh, Gerard McSorley, Marie Stafford, Gavin Kelty, Brid Brennan, Mark Hadfield, Danny Turner, Susan Parry, Claire Benedict
Original Music: Mychael Danna
Cinematography: Paul Sarossy
Editing: Susan Shipton
Runtime: 116 min
Country: Canada / UK
Language: English / Gaelic / French
Color: Color (DeLuxe)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35 : 1
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Certification: PG-13
Hilditch is a mild-mannered caterer living in Birmingham, England. Felicia is a pregnant Irish naif who’s traveled to Birmingham in search of the boy who impregnated her. Befriended by Hilditch, Felicia accepts his assistance until she can get back on her feet. But trouble is brewing in this relationship as, unbeknownst to Felicia, this harmless-looking do-gooder has a disturbing history with wayward women.
If you’re in the mood for something along the lines of Silence of the Lambs, then skip this. More a psychodrama than a suspense film. Egoyan has taken a low-key approach to William Trevor’s acclaimed novel, gradually letting the story unfold through flashbacks, allowing the audience to get to know the characters at a leisurely pace. Egoyan is fascinated with the industrial wasteland that is Birmingham: lingering shots of gas works and cooling towers suggest Hilditch’s spiritual desolation and Felicia’s friendlessness. Hoskins is very good as Hilditch, and relative newcomer Emily Cassidy makes for an interesting camera subject.
A gloomy, but memorable, film.
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