Some Voices

I only saw the last hour of this film but it is an excellent insight into mental illness, as well as the urban jungle of London (west London and Acton/Shepherds Bush, in particular).

Daniel Craig is brilliant (never heard of him before) as the mixed up man who visits and stays with his brother and frequents his quaint little bistro in the high street.

Lots of Godard-style jump cuts and freeze-frames, presumably to mimic the mind of a schizophrenic, accompanied by a fine soundtrack. Another great little motif is having all the characters live or work next to very busy thoroughfares - Ray's brother (Peter Macdonald) of course lives on the third floor at the same level as the flyover about 50 feet away, with constant motion and noise.

The film even features cooking lessons at the end, as Ray is quietly rehabilitated, ironically set and filmed in the hinterland of Jamie Oliver, the original 'naked chef' on BBC tv who is always shown at some point traversing these same streets on his Italian moped (always wearing a crash helmet, of course!). Daniel Craig is more authentic as he's seen naked in the street during a crisis.

The film's quite emotional, too, especially the kitchen arson scene where Dave is visibly concerned.

Ray is a schizophrenic who has been released form care back to his brother. He is on his medication and he is fine – enjoying life but wandering a lot. He meets a girl, Laura when she and her boyfriend are having a fight in the street. At first she dislikes him but the more he tries to get to know her the more she gives in to him. The pair go off to Hastings for a while and fall for each other – despite the worries of Ray's brother Dave.

I taped as it was billed as a comedy and I thought I'd give it a go. To call it a comedy is to not even tell half the story. It is funny in many places and has an enjoyable light air to most of it, but it is so much more than just another romantic `boy meets girl' British comedy. It is actually a sensitive look at mental illness through our view of Ray. He is allowed to be a person rather than a stereotype and as a result we care more about the plot but also sympathise with all the characters a lot more.

It hurt me to see Ray struggling when not on his meds. He is a real person and just struggling in this way. In real life I may have been in the street bemused by him rather than interesting in finding out who was behind the illness. Also when Dave is worried about him and feels he can't trust him, we side with Ray and see Ray's point, whereas in real life many of us would have our doubts just like Dave. This doesn't mean it's perfect as the plot has weaknesses. The romance in the centre doesn't always ring true and the climax, although dramatic, is an extreme for dramatic effect, but overall it works.

This is mainly due to a good strong script with real characters as well as good acting all round. Craig is really good as Ray – I never doubted him for a second and his portrayal is never lazy cliché for a second. McDonald's Dave is a less sympathetic figure but well acted and Macdonald's Laura is good once we are over the way she is very easily won over by Ray. The direction is really good and avoids being arty in it's use of images. I don't know what it's like to see things an hear things like Ray is, but here it is brought to the screen as well and as tastefully as could be expected.

Overall this is a comedy and can be enjoyed as such for at least half the film. But more than this the film goes deeper and is a wonderful look at schizophrenia without going into detail but rather giving us a real character and even helping `normal' (read `ignorant') people like me understand what it's like for people like Ray.

Some Voices centres on Ray (Craig) and his release from a psychiatric hospital. His rehabilation starts fairly well, with Ray working for his protective brother Pete (Morrissey) in a restaurant. However, when Ray falls head over heels in love with Laura (McDonald), a wild Scottish girl, and stops taking his medication, matters spiral out of control. Directorial debutant Simon Cellan Jones has effectively captured the colour (mostly grimy) and energy of Shepherds Bush. However, this is an actors piece and as such Craig and McDonald shine. Especially, McDonald who brings a natural warmth to a difficult role. Ultimately, both a disturbing and rewarding film, but don't expect any belly laughs or easy answers.

Funny, charming and with good music. The story of two different brothers working in a restaurant. This is one of those movies that's great to catch on TV during a weekend and not knowing what to expect.

It opens very comedic and lighthearted and slowly drifts and becomes more serious and dramatic as the run-time vanishes. I found it to be very touching to be honest. The older brother helping the younger and the younger having his psychological disorder. The acting is very good in this, especially in the second half, but over all it was good.

The romance may put some people off thinking it's clichéd. It may seem, but it goes in different directions and it's all handled very realistically. Either way it's nice to see the troubled main character find happiness after being under treatment for so long. The scenes in the restaurant were fun and I liked the dialogue and the back and forth banter between characters. You could say it's like "Chef" but with a recovering schizophrenic being the one working with the Chef instead of John Leguizamo.

It's an easy watch I'd say. If you wanna see a comedy with some heart and maybe some dramatic moments, then you can lean back and give this a watch. I thought the ending lifted the movie up even more and made the whole thing even better. Well, those are some thoughts or maybe some voices? OK, maybe I shouldn't end on a joke. Either way, check it out if you can.

What a great little find! Minimal actors, low budget, authentic portrayals of a relatable situation. A brilliant performance by Daniel Craig, my favourite kind before taking on the role that would forever define him.