Die Erlösung der Fanny Lye

Horrible Histories meets Hammer Horror meets Blackadder.... The basic story could have been quite good but the film is so unrealistic as to be more of a pantomime than a drama. Low budget has not allowed for getting anything dirty so all the clothes, house etc are like brand new, nothing grubby as it would obviously have been and everyone looks like they are fresh out of the shower.

The acting is surprisingly ham and the baddies are more like a comedy duo despite being evil.

All in all, a missed opportunity as could have been good with the right budget and the chance to create a realistic dark representation.

I attempt to watch all the historical films no matter how bad they are due to my love for history. I saw some articles about the films journey and struggles to get it filmed edited and released. I was hoping that the journey of making Fanny Lye was as good as the end product. It was! Though the story felt rushed at one small section, and the sheriff contrasts heavily with other characters, the film provides high historical accuracy in an area cinema has rarely covered. It was a blast to watch and the almost 2 hour runtime somehow felt way shorter. Fox provided such a vibrant cunning show and his chemistry on-screen with Charles Dance was something amazing!!!! I can see where some reviews are coming from with negativity as the film is no where near the sort of expectations a historical film tells, no super ordinary humans, just a regular 1600s family. But this film deserves a chance to be watched and a chance for an open mind to experience an era that you will probably never watch or hear of for many years in the future.

A labor of love for its writer and director Thomas Clay, who spent the better part of 10 years developing this 1600's set English period folk piece; his first film since 2008's Soi Cowboy, Fanny Lye Deliver'd is an almost indescribable melting pot of drama, thriller and religiously tinged horror and while it doesn't all work, this unique piece of independent film-making is still worth your time.

Introducing us to a post war era of rural England, where witch hunts, churches and religious zealots run rampant throughout the mud-filled lands of the English countryside, Deliver'd introduces us to odd couple John and Fanny, who alongside their young boy Arthur live out a quiet existence on their farmland (custom built for this film), with their faith dominating their lives, a faith tested by the arrival of Freddie Fox's Thomas and Tanya Reynolds Rebecca, a couple who couldn't be further from the Lye's in nature and desires.

When watching clips or trailers of Clay's film one would be right in expecting something of The Witch like horror but Deliver'd is a much different beast to that genre classic and while both films share similar settings, religious/faith themed undertones and characters grappling with their teachings going head to head with their feelings, Deliver'd is a more dramatic themed feminist-centric yarn that allows its breakout performer Maxine Peake one of the roles of her increasingly impressive career.

Fanny may be the titular character of the film but it takes a while for Peake's fully formed performance to take centre stage here in what's a masterful build-up from her and Clay with Fanny undergoing significant evolution from the first time we see her tending to her chores through to her last triumphant frame and after notable turns in well-regarded if little seen offerings like Funny Cow and Peterloo, Peake is an undeniable triumph here as complicated wife, mother and independent spirit.

There's a lot going on around Fanny and Clay's film is loaded with ideas and explorations, some of which don't feel fully formed come the films more drastically pivoted final stretch but it's an unpredictable affair and one that might not make for easy viewing but remains constantly engaging throughout as we remain on edge, unsure of what lays ahead for our collection of troubled souls in equally troubled times.

Final Say -

A film that defies simple explanation or analysis, Fanny Lye Deliver'd is a confronting film and one that struggles at times to juggle its various components but its strong trope of actors and wholly original vibe makes for mostly fascinating and unpredictable viewing.

3 1/2 muddy fields out of 5

A magnificent tale of a downtrodden wife and mother who is beat down by her bully, self-important husband who regularly beats both her and their little son for no reason other than he hates. He hates her, women, children who love their mother, the world, and himself. He is truly a child of his time; that time is 1657, during the cycle of English Civil Wars. One day as they arrive home to their farm from church (her husband riding the horse while she and the child walk) they find they have been invaded. A young couple has run to their secluded farm to hide out. What will the uber judgmental man of the farm do with them? This movie is not only authentic and beautifully made but it had my jaw dropping a couple of times. The cast is superb, especially that Peter McDonald as the High Sheriff for the Council of State. There isn't a sour note in the whole work.

Very good film but sometimes it navigates away from the focus a bit too much unintentionally. Still loved it!