Unfair, isn't it. Well, isn't it? It's a movie about a woman. So first we have to ask: Is this just a "women's movie"? Annette Bening (as Grace) delivers a towering performance, and let's face it, some women are going to watch this portrayal of a relationship, and say, "Yes! Yes, that is (or was or has been) my own marriage!"
Blokes. What's the problem with blokes? Blokes are not good at expressing their feelings. In fact they're not good at coping with their feelings, or even understanding feelings. Sometimes they're ashamed of their feelings, because apparently blokes are not supposed to have feelings. Husband Edward (Bill Nighy) is behaving like a bloke, even though, as a schoolteacher, he must know lots of words for articulating emotion. And the house is full of books, including lots of poetry books. Grace is collecting up this "anthology" of all the poems that can bring comfort to the human soul, as we struggle with life and difficulties and the inevitability of death. As a good catholic, Grace is confident about her afterlife, an afterlife in which there will be the rich fulfilment of love and hope and meaning.
They've been married for nearly 29 years. A problem with a movie like this is that we have to plunge into a "typical day" and try to reconstruct ten thousand previous days from a couple of conversations. This relationship must have once been young and fresh, but now it is...? Nighy is doing this "dry old stick" schtick:
She: "Do you have something in mind (i.e. For the forthcoming anniversary)?" "What do you mean?" "Well, we could go out for dinner..." "If that's what you want..."
She: "Say something." "What do you want me to say?" "Anything!" "Whatever I say, it always puts me in the wrong."
Et cetera. How long has this dyscommunication been going on? And Grace is worried about their son Jamie (Josh O'Connor). He lives in the city, doing this IT job. And he lives in this little flat... by himself! Surely he must be emotionally deprived, poor boy. His mum is concerned: perhaps Jamie is turning into a "dry young stick", becoming too much like his father. We the audience don't worry about Jamie. Sure, he isn't getting far with his current love interest, but we see him in perfectly sensible conversation with these two work colleagues. Later we see him as mature, caring, sensitive and kind.
The writing and directing (both by William Nicholson) Is of very high quality. Bening gets some great lines, and she pounces on them to create this powerful portrayal of a woman. Sometimes a bloke doesn't know what to do with a woman, not with this much woman. So much joyful potential, and yet it has drifted into such minimal compatibility. Maybe Edward could find love with someone else, someone more down-to-earth, someone who makes fewer emotional demands. But maybe he's left it too late! Are things going to come to a head? The relationship looks depressing, but the experience for the audience can be exhilarating. Does this complex human dilemma need an audience of "been there, done that"? I don't think so. Plenty of younger people will be able to recognise aspects of family life that we see in "Hope Gap".
Blokes. What's the problem with blokes? Blokes are not good at expressing their feelings. In fact they're not good at coping with their feelings, or even understanding feelings. Sometimes they're ashamed of their feelings, because apparently blokes are not supposed to have feelings. Husband Edward (Bill Nighy) is behaving like a bloke, even though, as a schoolteacher, he must know lots of words for articulating emotion. And the house is full of books, including lots of poetry books. Grace is collecting up this "anthology" of all the poems that can bring comfort to the human soul, as we struggle with life and difficulties and the inevitability of death. As a good catholic, Grace is confident about her afterlife, an afterlife in which there will be the rich fulfilment of love and hope and meaning.
They've been married for nearly 29 years. A problem with a movie like this is that we have to plunge into a "typical day" and try to reconstruct ten thousand previous days from a couple of conversations. This relationship must have once been young and fresh, but now it is...? Nighy is doing this "dry old stick" schtick:
She: "Do you have something in mind (i.e. For the forthcoming anniversary)?" "What do you mean?" "Well, we could go out for dinner..." "If that's what you want..."
She: "Say something." "What do you want me to say?" "Anything!" "Whatever I say, it always puts me in the wrong."
Et cetera. How long has this dyscommunication been going on? And Grace is worried about their son Jamie (Josh O'Connor). He lives in the city, doing this IT job. And he lives in this little flat... by himself! Surely he must be emotionally deprived, poor boy. His mum is concerned: perhaps Jamie is turning into a "dry young stick", becoming too much like his father. We the audience don't worry about Jamie. Sure, he isn't getting far with his current love interest, but we see him in perfectly sensible conversation with these two work colleagues. Later we see him as mature, caring, sensitive and kind.
The writing and directing (both by William Nicholson) Is of very high quality. Bening gets some great lines, and she pounces on them to create this powerful portrayal of a woman. Sometimes a bloke doesn't know what to do with a woman, not with this much woman. So much joyful potential, and yet it has drifted into such minimal compatibility. Maybe Edward could find love with someone else, someone more down-to-earth, someone who makes fewer emotional demands. But maybe he's left it too late! Are things going to come to a head? The relationship looks depressing, but the experience for the audience can be exhilarating. Does this complex human dilemma need an audience of "been there, done that"? I don't think so. Plenty of younger people will be able to recognise aspects of family life that we see in "Hope Gap".