Friday, July 15, 2011
FARM VILLAGE FARCE
Today's film was Stephen Frears'
which is based on a Posy Simmonds' graphic novel which, in turn, was inspired by Hardy's Far From the Madding Crowd.
It is a cross between a farce and a bit of a morality tale.
Tamara returns to her home village with a nose job and a successful news column and a desire to set the locals straight about her self esteem. Or herself.
In the village are her old beau, a writer's retreat run by a hack author, some fun locals and two kids who are bent on causing hell to happen. Oh. Add a rock star to the mix. A wonderful Dominic Cooper, the only "name" in the film. Other than Frears, of course.
It is a complicated story. Everyone, like Tamara, has dreams and desires that don't quite suit reality or their own identity. By the end all this gets sorted out.
There are some great bits. And the story, such as it is, wends its way surprisingly forward despite everyone's deep desire to hold onto the present.
All get their comeuppance and realize, again like Tamara, that happiness is not your nose or your book or your reputation or all that you do to be a good girl or boy.
Happiness is what you do to be yourself and take what is in front of you.
An old lesson but never learned. That is good because it generates funny happy adult films like this to observe the human comedy.
I would gladly see it again. A 4 out of Netflix5.
Labels: films
