Unfinished Song

source: Unfinished Song

Terrence Stamp is once again spectacular in his role. The chemistry between him and Vanessa Redgrave is quite moving. This is a great ensemble of lovely actors, depicting a simple, fragile but utterly beautiful situation. There are wrongly rooted stubborn opinions in all of us. We get carried away by the bitterness over time. It is only when we manage to "leap over our own shadow" that we remember to cherish and celebrate life as it comes. Sure, the story is very predictable, there's nothing new world changing in there, nothing that we haven't seen before in some other way. The story is heavy. No matter how one puts it, it is not easy to be reminded of ones mortality. Most of us have lost beloved people and all of us will have the same fate. It is however the beautifully interwoven humor and humility in this urban movie that makes it all a little lighter.

Vanessa Redgrave was the initial reason i choose to see this movie. Her performance as always is really really good. It's powerful and pristine, but its not only the acting but the choice of playing in a movie with such a theme. The concept of this movie as i perceive it is that you have to find peace and balance with yourself and you family and usually this happens when you are close to death. You have to be involved with things that fulfill you and make you feel content and complete, make you and your surrounding people feel better. Share your problems because when you open up you find support from people who care and understand that things aren't black or white but you must be open and then you find the balance and peace you didn't know you where missing. This movie is a must see.

From the very first trailer, you can see what kind of movie it is. The challenge is showing you something that makes the predictability worth it and this movie had it. it showed London suburbs, it showed old people doing funny things (which in my book never actually gets old), it showed Great performances and you know what... It even had a cute kid who wasn't annoying, :) so yeah.., it definitely is a predictable weepy, touching family story but by golly I think it was worth it and would recommend it. Plus HUGE doctor who fan talking here but it's always nice to see Chrisptoher Eccelston. :) Oh and Gemma Arteton. She is a gorgeous actress and has done all these really big pictures where she does always seem to play a type, so it's nice to see her play something quiet- I would recommend Lost in Austen too. Anyway, watch it if you just need a good laugh and a good cry. :)

Observe the common tearjerker. Check out our characters: A sad old gruff (Terence Stamp) with no joy in his heart, and his jolly terminally ill wife who sings in a local pensioners choir. Old people? SINGING?! BAH HUMBUG!! The young choir master, played by Gemma Arterton, encourages him to sit and watch, but nope. He'd rather sip his tea, or play a stimulating game of dominoes. He's got problems of his own too... Like a fractious relationship with his son. He NEVER told his lad "I love you". Isn't it sad? *SNIFF* After the elderly glee club get themselves onstage and murder songs like Let's Talk About Sex, wearing stupid costumes with much facial gurning, they somehow impress a judge who puts them through to some national finals. Sadly, and not at all predictably, the grouch's wife dies before the big day arrives. Hmm... Who'll take her place... Could it be a) Lord Lucan b) Mr Majeika or c) The Living Embodiment Of Scrooge Himself. Place your bets now... It's admirable in a way, the plot throws up artificial contrivances then snuffs them out a few minutes later in an equally asinine way . Like the scene towards the end, when the oldies choir is kicked out of the competition JUST before going on stage... because the organisers don't want to be accused of 'dumbing down'. Well, on that score I CAN agree with them, but... why bother sending down a guy to judge them and why invite them all the way to the big event, only to inform them of their disqualification just before the performance? ANSWER: Because the movie needed a BIG MOMENT of Terence Stamp rebelling, forcing his way onto the stage, all his fellow pensioners in tow. And of course, despite blatantly ignoring their instructions, the organisers let them proceed. It's just bad scriptwriting, where the ends justifies the means no matter how unconvincing the execution is. A better film would have found a way of pushing all the right buttons, without all this film-flammery. And guess who's in the audience cheering on his dad, after receiving a 'surprise' package in the post containing all the old photographs of him having fun with his pater when he was just a nipper, proving ONCE AND FOR ALL he was 'loved'? Is it: a) Elvis b) Puff The Magi... Oh, what the heck, you know the rest. So anyway, as you may have guessed, I'm not exactly the intended audience for this blubfest, which is supposed to looked on with an uncritical eye by those who want to have a good ol' sob into their duvet. Those of more clear thinking are advised to put their faculties on hold for the duration, lest you end up spoiling the entire story for yourself by predicting everything in advance. It isn't difficult. On the plus side, it's nice to see so many actors and actresses of er, 'senior years' being given a chance, despite the fact most of the time they're just in the background, miming terribly. And it's impossible to dislike any aspect of the movie to be honest, after all... It's intentions are good. It just all feels like they're going through the motions rather than giving us anything of substance, and I came away feeling as hollow as an Easter egg. I haven't got a heart of stone, I HAVE enjoyed stuff like this before. See Brassed Off for details. This is just risk-free, no frills, playing to the gallery fluff in comparison. 5/10

What do you do when you have closed yourself all your life and can't seem to connect with those you love? What happens when you have no reason to live because you lost your soul mate? "Unfinished Song" explores some of these topics by giving us a look into the lives of a fictional couple who is facing the end of their lives. Little by little we learn how this bond has been created, and how painful their separation might be. With a superb performance by Terence Stamp as the cranky old husband who is feeling overwhelmed by the impending loss of a loved one, we get to understand how difficult it is to communicate, even with those close to us. Arthur has not allowed others to know him. He has slowly separated himself from his son and neither knows the reason. Now as Marion is slowly fading away, it is crucial that they reconnect. Instead, things take a turn for the worse. Arthur eventually gets another chance through the relationship he develops with the choir teacher. It is a beneficial relationship, as the last third of the film has Arthur rediscovering himself, finding a way to purge himself of those demons that have plagued him forever, and the film continues to touch and entertain us as we see the choir practices, Arthur's soul slowly opening up, enjoying life, paying tribute to his wife. It will be difficult to find a dry eye during the final performance in the film, and it feels honest, real because of the acting we have witnessed so far. Stamp is solid all the way through. Redgrave is a lovely as the frail Marion, and Arterton is energetic, a spark of love and dedication to make others enjoy every moment of their existence. Great film.

I had guessed some of the plot just from the trailer, but don't let that put you off. There is much more to this film than I had guessed in advance. How well it does it is remarkable. It could have been trite, but the dialogue and the acting from Terence Stamp, Gemma Arterton and Vanessa Redgrave turned this story into heart-warming and heart-breaking reality. Although only a small part, Christopher Ecclestone was also worth the admission price on his own. I am a true cynic when I detect attempts to get at my emotions, but this film is irresistible. My one gripe is probably something that probably ended up on the cutting room floor. The relationship between Elizabeth and Arthur changed too quickly. I reckon there had to be another scene in between Arthur's stubborn resistance and sodden Elizabeth's opening up on the doorstep. However that sudden discontinuity was soon forgotten. It might even do good for some families who see it.

The plot is simple enough about love and loss and old folks finding joy in music, but it is so much more. This is a film for anyone who has ever loved, lost, or been less than perfect. In other words, it is a film for everyone. All the reviewers have mentioned the stellar performances by the lead actors and that is definitely true. This film does deserve awards for acting and directing. Vanessa is brilliant and Terence Stamp has come full circle from his "give us a song, Billy" days and has shown his magic has not diminished. I saw the film a few hours ago and I am still crying. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. I almost missed it because it is in very limited release. This is crazy. There is so much fantasy and stupidity in films today, but an honest and important film like this just slips through the cracks.

I saw this show as a screening several months ago, but under the title "Song for Marion." At the time, I told several people about it and recommended it when it came out in wide release. It reminded me of the 2007 documentary "Young@Heart," where an older group of people form a choir and sing rock and pop music. This movie follows the lives of an elderly couple (Marion and Arthur played by Vanessa Redgrave and Terence Stamp), their son (Christopher Eccleston) and granddaughter, and the senior adults in a choir led by a young woman (Gemma Arterton), who encourages them to sing pop and rock favorites. At the beginning of the movie, Marion is already in the choir and attempts to get the loving, but sometimes curmudgeonly, Arthur to join. While the plot was predictable, the characters still warm the heart. The songs selected were terrific, especially when you see the choir members reactions to some of them. It was fun to watch the characters' progression as time went on. Performances by all were amazing!

That ugly part of England which we've all learned to love. Marion has cancer, but attending this old-age choir keeps her up. Her husband hates it, as he hates everything except his wife. He comforts himself by smoking. But the choir will also keep him up. Sad thing, there are so many of the common feel-good-clichées here. Dealing with cancer this way is making it far too easy. The good people are good in the way you start to expect after a couple of minutes. Doesn't help there's lot of good acting and an ugly part of England you've learned to love.