:: The Wendy House ::

Film summary details: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274558/

This is an outstanding Oscar winning film,  the best film I’ve seen this year….  ..definitely rated in my top 10 films.  It was an accidental discovery on live TV!  It captured and drew me in, for a plethora of reasons including

• Distinctive female central roles executed brilliantly by Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Miranda Richardson.  Miranda Richardson is a personal favourtie because
  • I’ve been likened to her portrayal of ‘Queenie’ in Black Adder III.
  • Her outstanding portrayal of ‘Ruth Ellis’,  the last woman to be ‘executed’ in the UK in ‘dance with a stranger’
  • Her amazingly versataille portfolio.
• An excellent screen script by David Hare.  David is a personal favourite of mine.  I’ve had the honour of being cast in plays he’s written.
• The value of life is questioned.  A worthy topic of consideration.  It’s profoundly distressing.  This may seem like an odd reason to rate a film as excellent.  I value films that take the audience on journeys they may not have the freedom or courage to take outside of the film.  Films that provoke thought,  manipulate emotions, heighten self and other awareness.  This film is fairly unique in its subject matter for such a famous cast,  yet the subject matter is accessible and potentially very recognisable.  I have very non-mainstream views on the value of an individual’s life that easily align with the decisons made by some people within this film.
• Philip Glass’s musical score.  Michael Nyman has been my favourite modern composer since I saw ‘The Draughtman’s Contract’  1982 and in subsequent Peter Greenaway films.  Michael is more internationally famous for producing the sound track for ‘The Piano’ starring Holly Hunter,  Harvey Keitel and Sam Neil.  I normally find Philip Glass’s work pales by comparison.  My introduction to Philip glass was a live performance of the Opera ‘The fall of the house of usher’.  It was tedious.  By contrast,  in this film Philip manages to convey time and mood fabulously.  It turned my opinion of his abilities around. 
• Clever yet easy to follow postmodern structure.   Few films have beautifully mastered interrupting and interweaving multiple interrelated storylines.  Notable other successes are ‘Pulp Fiction’ and ‘Memento’.   
• Its personal and relevant today.  These women were all profoundly beautiful.  I found myself wanting to stand up and defend them,  to celebrate their value, to break the pathway of their distress,  to rescue them.  But I couldn’t,  as the people around them couldn’t.  Fundamentally distressing.  This film caused pain.  I cried.  The outcomes felt inevitable and right for the characters.  Things haven’t changed that much.  The main themes of the film are evident today.  That pain exists.   It’s everybody’s responsibility to remove the pain.

Do watch this.

Don’t watch it alone,  make sure you are with someone who cares about you or can effectively share,  empathise or manage distress.  The film rating is too low,  this film is deeply emotionally disturbing,  it contains suicide and serious questioning of societal values. 

I made 2 mistakes.  Watching it alone and answering a phonecall 15mins before the film ended while crying silently and still deeply immersed.

I will be watching this film again.  I suspect I’ve missed many subtle nuances,  I want to use it to help be more aware and supportive in the lives I touch,  including my own.

W