www.bbc.co.uk/markkermode Every filmmaker has one film they consider didn’t get the attention it deserved. For Mark, Lynne Ramsay’s Morvern Callar is just such a movie...
Morvern Callar is not just Lynne Ramsay’s best movie - it’s one of the best British films ever made. Hats off to you, Dr Kermode, for standing up for it. The final scene of the film in particular is just an absolutely perfect coming together of audio, visuals, story and mood, and yet with no dialogue at all. It’s one of those rare films that stays with you long after you have left the cinema.
American Beauty, Revolutionary Road and Bond are often cited as Sam Mendes' most important films, but for me, Road To Perdition always made the biggest impact. It's a striking retelling of a well-worn theme in crime cinema with an immaculate score and wonderful performances.
There's a few of those films that got quiet acclaim from some of my favourite directors though are not as well known as a lot of their other work. Nicolas Roeg's 'Bad Timing', George Romero's 'Martin', DePalma's 'Phantom Of The Paradise' to name a few off the top of my head but there are many more. My favourite Hitchcock film too is 'Shadow Of A Doubt' which I believe is also Hitchcock's favourite of his own.
it's easily one of my favourite movies of all time. deeply odd, funny, and low key. 'you were never really here' and 'we need to talk about kevin' both feel very lurid in comparison
I loved this film there’s an ambiguity and sensuality that’s beautiful about it that echoes the way the main character embraces and lives in the moment.
This reminds me of how John Ford considered The Sun Shines Bright, a film he made in 1953, as his personal favourite of all his films. It's not well known, but the film has been championed by film critics like Jonathan Rosenbaum over the years.
@@AbrasiousProductions I hope you like the film. Make sure to watch the 100-minutes long (1 hr 40 mins) version and not the 92-minutes long (1 hr 32 mins) U.S. theatrical cut.
I wasn’t bowled over by the film when I saw it years ago but aside from Morton it was that soundtrack that absolutely carried it - first class. I ordered it about 5 minutes after watching (back when we actually used to buy music) 👍👍👍👍
On a similar note I have often found that actors when asked their favorite work they invariably not mention the roles they are most well known for. I believe Michael Caine said one of his favourite movies was Dirty Rotten Scoundrels for example.
Probably one of my favourite films that doesn't seemed to get mentioned much is The Nice Guys, only found it around a month or two ago but since then I have watched it quite a few times. It's very good but to me it seems to be one that not many people know, maybe i'm wrong, but like Tower Heist (another great film I love), I don't remember hearing about The Nice Guys when it came out.
Freddo Productions You should definitely watch 'Kiss, Kiss Bang Bang' then. Same writer/director, Shane Black. And 'The Nice Guys' is kind of a spiritual sequel to it... Tower Heist, you are alone on that one lol.
Okay thanks for letting me know, I had heard of it but again, only recently due to me suddenly looking up Shane Black's filmography, Nice Guys also rips a lot off from the first Lethal Weapon, I guess cause he wrote that too. Lol surprised not more people like Tower Heist I really enjoy and it's a feel good movie I can watch whenever I'm down. But still, even if you don't like Tower Heist you gotta admit it's got an amazing score.
I remeber renting this from Blockbuster (yes it was that long ago) and at a certain point, I wasn't paying attention to the plot (such as it is) anymore and tried to guess what is the most random thing the character could do, and half the time I guessed right. One for the art-house crowd and probably not a lot of others.
I love Lynn Ramsay. Morvern Callar is the only feature of hers I've yet to see because it's considerably harder to come across than her other movies. It seems like you have to deliberately search for it while Ratcatcher and We Need To Talk About Kevin have streamed on platforms that I'm subscribed to.
Saw Clio Barnard’s latest, DARK RIVER, last night. Kept looking at the young actress playing Ruth Wilson as a teenager in the flashback scenes. “Blimey, she don’t half look like a young Samantha Morton.” Yep, it’s her daughter, Esme Creed Miles. Star of the future....?
brilliant film with a stellar perf by good old Sam. it's one of those where it's better than the book. I read a LOT of Scottish fiction and Warner's novel is interesting and a bit inventive but it's not a patch on anything by James Kellman.
This isn't just my favourite Lynne Ramsay film, this is my favourite film period! Ramsay is so gifted at adapting novels into something more, at portraying the subjective experience of the protagonist. And that soundtrack -- the best there is! This is currently showing on the Criterion Channel. If you're reading this and you've never seen it, don't miss this chance! Also, can I say it's really annoying that Ramsay has been dismissed from projects for being "difficult". Straight up f'n sexist BS right there. Kubrick was difficult. David O Russel is difficult (and makes mid movies imo). Lynne Ramsay is a genius! Any producer she works with should let her create her vision. Fools!
Altered States and The Borderlands (Final Prayer) both seem to have gotten away. Maybe I'd include Alice (1988) as well. Lynch's Inland Empire never really gets picked up either. Viva (2007) gets overlooked by The Love Witch, but is perhaps the better of the two Anna Biller masterpieces.
I think Martin Scorsese’s Casino doesn’t get enough attention, it has a great story brilliant camera work for example the brilliant tracking shots through the casino itself. I always feel it’s ignored and not talked about as much due to the attention that Goodfellas got, personally I think that Casino would be considered the better of the two films if it had comes first.
I had my A level film exam question on Morvern Callar but I hated it. I was told my critical essay could not be scathing but instead praising, thus resulting in over a year worth of essays praising (with critical faculties) every aspect of the film; I don’t know why they insisted on it. After my exam was finished I still despised the pretentious nature of the film (as opposed to her other work which I quite like). However, critical appreciation somewhat remained. Mark, my question to you is, how should you critique films that you personally hate yet you objectively know is stylistically fascinating??
@The Time is Now exactly. Why would anyone hate this film? Not like it? I understand not liking it. It’s an odd film, certainly not for everyone. But how could anyone hate something so beautifully made? If you look at it’s dark core and heart there is tremendous beauty and not an ounce of pretension. Incredibly organic moody piece of cinema, all of us that are stuck at a dreary job sometimes feeling like spectators, all of us that are simply looking for something, that something could be anything, can relate to this film. Works on so many levels. Identity, study of grief, loneliness, existential dread.
'You were never really here' was very tepid and made little impression. It is by no means a great or even a particularly clever piece . However, it plods through it's 90 mins or so without the audience having to ask for its money back, which is some consolation I suppose.
If anything, the films leaves an 'impression'. However, if you found the visceral character study insufferable, then I feel you overlooked quite a well-made film.
