Wild At Heart
A little over a decade ago I saw a wonderful period piece film starring my favorite actress at the time. That actress was Gillian Anderson of 'X-Files' fame and the film was a small gem entitled "The House Of Mirth" by Terrence Davies. It was beautifully shot and the best non-'X-Files' movie Anderson has done. He brought out that special grace and beauty in her performance that I haven't seen since. Davies has only directed about 6 films in the past 23 years but he managed to capture that same magic he found in "Mirth" in his new film "The Deep Blue Sea" with the beautiful Rachel Weisz.
This British film is set in the 1950's where Hester Collyer (Rachel) is married to the much older Judge Sir William Collyer (Simon Russell Beale). One day she decides to commit suicide but fails. During her recovery, her husband finds out she has been secretly having an affair with a young RAF pilot, Freddie Page (Tom Hiddleston). She forsakes the comfort of her passionless life of luxury to be with Freddie in what turns out to be a rocky yet passionate affair. The film explores the relationship with the two very different men she loves and the prison she is building for herself. On one hand, she has her young lover with whom she excels at the physical level but intellectual find themselves far apart. On the other is a man she gets along with on an intellectual level but find no physical attraction anymore.
Rachael Weisz (The Mummy, Constant Gardener) puts forth a touchingly troubled performance about a woman who has to deal with the complexities love and is barely keeping afloat and on the edge of self-destructing. The story itself could have easily broken down if it wasn't for Rachel's wonderful performance and I predict could be an early nomination for best actress at next year's Academy Awards (it is way too early to think of them but her performance is that good). Davies film do come across as a bit bare but he can bring out good performances in his female leads and his films are shot beautifully. Rachel is the reason to see this film so be prepared to walk into her shoes and don't expect a happy ending.
The movie opened today at the Main Art Theatre in Royal Oak. My grade is a B+. Go to http://www.landmarktheatres.com/Market/Detroit/Detroit_Frameset.htm for showtimes.
