In Björn Runge's English language film directing debut, this is a very 'Swedish' film. There is no 'Hollywoodisation' to it, no fantastic car chases or gratuitous sex and violence; and each shot is carefully measured, perfectly framed, and drawn out as long as practical. Silence being just as important as sound, and inaction being just as important as action.
For this kind of film technique; sturdy, solid and talented acting performances are required. The protagonists need to be able to speak with just a single glance or a slight shrug of the shoulder. Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce may both be in their early 70s, but they show no signs of slowing nor diminishing in their performances. Both have had long and illustrious careers and yet casting them together for this film seems to have brought out the absolute best in both. I have never seen Close act better - and I saw her electrifying performance of Norma Desmond on Broadway! - whilst both Close and Pryce have an on-screen chemistry in this film which just makes it a masterclass in acting from start to finish.
The film tells the story, chronologically with the aid of flashback, of Joseph Castleman, who, as a young man taught creative writing at a girls' college. Although unpublished he was well respected; that is until he seduces one of his students and is forced to resign. His marriage in tatters and head over heels in love with Joan, they marry. It soon becomes evident however that Joan is the far more talented writer and maybe in 2018 she would have continued to write under her own name and become famous herself, this was in the 1960s and she was in a very much male-dominated profession and is disheartened. She therefore strikes up a 'deal' with her husband, that she will allow him to create the ideas and plot-lines whilst she actually writes the novels. Of course this is their secret and as far as the world is concerned Joseph (not Joan) Castleman is the brilliant writer. She busies herself on the typewriter while he does the cleaning, cooking and looking after their children.
Fast-forward to the present day and the announcement that Joseph has been awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature. They fly to Sweden hounded by a slimy would-be biographer who suggests he knows the truth about who does the writing, and their son becomes very suspicious too when his father won't offer a critique on his own first novel.
The film's storyline unfortunately is hugely predictable, and highly convenient. This is where the film falls down for me. There are no surprises at all, and too many convenient happenstances occur in order for the narrative to flow. For a film that is about great writing, the writing of the film is extremely poor and very thin on plot. However, don't watch the film for that - watch it simply to engross and lose yourself in some absolutely first class acting.
The young Joan Castleman is played by Glenn Close's real life daughter, Annie Starke, and she too is spellbindingly good, more than ably partnered by the talented Harry Lloyd as young Joe Castleman. Christian Slater puts in a rather supercilious and slimy turn as the biographer Nathaniel Bone. But it is the performances of Jonathan Pryce and Glenn Close which occupy our attention - especially Close's amazing talent at making just one single ephemeral glance tell two separate stories - quite a unique talent.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 25/10/18
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