This 1965 British film, set in Country Clare, Ireland, and London, is a coming-of-age story which, though firmly set in the values and attitudes of its day, attains a timeless quality by virtue of an intelligent, fluent script and fine ensemble playing by a top-notch cast. Sarah Miles plays the girl who leaves an Irish fishing village for London, hoping to be joined by her boyfriend. Desperately lonely, she is befriended by a budding doctor. The story, which I won't spoil by going into more detail, is simple and universal. Anyone who has been in love can relate to it. The film-making style shows distinct influences of the French 'New Wave' (it is also cited as an example of British 'New Wave'; there were lots of waves breaking over cinema at the time) but uses these techniques judiciously and is innovative in its own right. The score by William Alwyn is highly effective and the black-and- white photography lovingly captures the magnificent sky and seascapes of the Irish coast. It is a quiet, almost contemplative film, that uses flashbacks extensively. The weaving of these time transitions is very good, on the whole, but audiences that prefer a linear narrative and buckets of action are not likely to be satisfied. For me, I rate the film highly because I know I already want to watch it again.
Review of Time Lost and Time Remembered
