vernon film society
Bringing the best in world and Canadian film to film lovers of Vernon and the North Okanagan
IS ANYBODY THERE?
Director: John Crowley
Cast: Michael Caine, Bill Milner, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey
Run Time: 92 minutes
Country: United Kingdom
Year: 2008
Language: English
Rating: PG (Coarse language)
An official selection of the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival®, Is There Anybody There? is a tender portrait of a friendship between an inquisitive ten-year-old boy and a retired magician. Fresh from last year’s festival success Boy A, Irish director John Crowley returns to the world of a young boy, infusing his new work with the childish naïveté of a precocious and curious lad named Edward (Bill Milner, Son of Rambow), whose less-than-idyllic home happens to double as a hospice for the aged.
As his parents (Anne-Marie Duff and David Morrissey) struggle to keep the family business afloat, Edward pursues his obsession with the paranormal. Surrounded by the elderly, he is intrigued by death, toting his tape recorder around in an attempt to find clues that will help him understand mortality.
With the arrival of the bitter, burned-out Clarence (the indomitable Michael Caine), who unwillingly finds himself an inmate of the hospice, Edward’s interests take on an entirely different dimension. An ex-magician who has stopped practising his trade, Clarence no longer finds positive elements in anything or anyone. Irascible, irritable and angry, Clarence is at first barely able to tolerate the young whippersnapper – but it is not long before they are drawn together, two mutual outsiders trying to make sense of the world.
Caine gives a commanding and daring performance as the jaded Clarence, and Milner is a perfect foil as the youngster. This unlikely couple find themselves embroiled in a series of comic misadventures that touch on the deeper questions and mysteries of life. Full of wit, wisdom and wistfulness, this film confronts death and the hereafter with humour and honesty.
“Blending humor and heartbreak in a performance that makes a small movie a richly satisfying one, Caine truly is magic.” - Rolling Stone
Reviews: www.metacritic.com/film/titles/isanybodythere
Official Site: www.isanybodytheremovie.com
