An Awfully Big Adventure

I've been curious about this movie for a long time. I finally saw it on IFC.

It was great! In this age of VERY expensive, predictable, committee-approved "art", I was relieved to watch this story unfold. Although I suspected early on about the relationship between Cates and Rickman's characters, it's execution was much better than the usual pap that pretends to be a surprise or twist.

Or even interesting.

The real twists in this story, was its own mirror of the real human forces and decisions that keep some of the sweetest, and unfortunately, worst stories going on. The twists were the tiny reasons why such things, sometimes painful and abhorrent to our collective cultural sense of what's right and decent in a society, to continue within it.

The hypocrisy of denying that these dark parts of ourselves exist often cause them to continue. Often times, the self-appointed moral-police of our culture make this inevitable in their pursuit of human frailty, the aftermath of its hunt, and the white-washing of the events (and non-events) they discovered.

No character represented total evil, good, decadence or purity, including Stella. She had as much (subtle) emotional weaponry with her, as she had emotional scars.

Many Americans don't like, or have been trained (over time) to not have patience for such imperfect main-characters in fiction anymore. The one-dimensional, mass-marketed character, is the norm here now.

That's sad. Because of that, this movie (and others like it) didn't do very well here.

Having this story take place within the entertainment industry is an excellent way of displaying so much of the world's human tragedy AND stupidity being covered up by some people's treachery, some people's nobility, or a combination of both.

And even at the end of this tale, all of the stage crew, like life itself, executed their own particular versions of the adage, "The show must go on."

No perfect hollywood story here, with it's base and stupid doling out of come-uppance of everyone's flaws...or Evil.

This is one of the better films about theatre and what it does to some people. It resembles "The Dresser" in atmosphere to a certain extent, and in the portrayal of many of its characters. Both are set in Northern England during the 1940s, in rather faded theatres. Characters from one film could quite easily have inhabited the other. Here however we follow primarily the journey of a stage-struck young girl as she enters the strange and often unpredictable world of a repertory theatre -her own awfully big adventure. Note the irony of the title. Secret desires and yearnings linger under the surface, bitchiness and petty jealousy escort humour and the spirit of "the show going on" no matter what. It is however quite a dark film, and bravely allows us to get to know characters who are unsympathetic but not altogether unlikable. Alan Rickman underplays beautifully as always, and a restrained Hugh Grant demonstrates his considerable skill as a character actor. This is one of the most interesting of all his screen performances. Georgina Cates gives a stunning performance of the innocent (but not THAT innocent) girl drawn into the world of the theatre, and the supporting cast are faultless. Prunella Scales, Carol Drinkwater and Peter Firth deserve special salutes however. Lots to like here, but it is not at all a feel good movie. Nor is it meant to be.

Whatever you do, do not-I repeat, do not watch An Awfully Big Adventure with your father. Gents, do not watch this movie with your daughter. I don't care if one of your greatest childhood memories is going to see Peter Pan with your dad, or if both of your favorite actor is Alan Rickman, don't watch it together. You will be so sorry, but spoilers prevent me from telling you why.

I rented this movie thinking it would be fantastic. Released the same year as Sense and Sensibility, Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant team up again in a film about a theater troupe and its eccentricities. Coming from a theatrical family and having spent my fair share of time in that world as well, I always like watching movies that depict it accurately. Georgina Cates stars as the young ingenue in search of connection and a mature role model. She joins a theatrical production of Peter Pan, but she soon learns that theater people aren't any more well-adjusted than she is. She first develops a crush on the director, Hugh Grant, but he's not very nice and isn't interested in her at all. Alan is far nicer to her, and she winds up in his bed instead.

The acting in this movie is very good. If you don't have a daughter, or if you don't have Daddy-issues, and you love dark movies with good acting, you'll probably like this one. Georgina Cates, a newcomer to the big screen, truly embodies the lost, emotionally wounded qualities of her character. Hugh Grant deviates from his usual screen persona, and his snippy, cold delivery is very convincing. Alan Rickman, who's always great, puts so much into this role. Playing an "actor" stepping into a small production and making an impression on a youngster, while showing the audience that he's not worthy of her hero worship, takes a lot of nuances during every scene. His performance is flawless, but the story might be too upsetting for you to want to watch.

The story is extremely dark, but as it's set amidst a theatrical background, it's very good. It feels like it could have been adapted from a classic opera, and I'm almost tempted to read Beryl Bainbridge's original novel. If you've never seen either Hugh or Alan in a film, or you really like them, you might not want to rent this one. Stick with Sense and Sensibility instead, since it also has great acting and a good story, and it's not upsetting. Hopefully this movie won't ruin Peter Pan for you, but chances are you won't forget it as long as you live.

Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to nudity, graphic sex scenes and upsetting subject matter involving a child, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

A comedy, this is NOT!!!! Not unless you call alcoholism, incest and sexual harassment funny!!! Both Alan Rickman and Hugh Grant do extremely good jobs portraying the powerful who prey on the young and innocent. This girl, however, happens to be practically psycho from the abandonment she suffered as a child, talking into a telephone with no one but the recorded time on the other end of the line.

The sad lives of roving actors in repertory companies of the 40s-50s is heart-rendingly portrayed by some pretty good actors. I have no idea how it was rated, but its subject matter is so unusual, the photography so striking, that I highly recommend it. If you are a Hugh Grant as ladies' man fan, this may put you off. If you are an Alan Rickman fan, you'll love the sex scenes....even if you're shocked later.

If you have any children whom you DO NOT want to go into acting, see this one with them. I loved the shots of Dublin, where it was filmed...even though it's set in Liverpool. Be prepared to be puzzled first time through. It took me two showings to figure it out.

The likely reason people don't like this film is because it was released by Miramax who are infamous for mis-marketing their tough sell pictures ("Muriel's Wedding" was a feel good, laugh a minute romantic comedy? "Captives" was a thriller!). This movie isn't a sweet coming of age story. It's a devastating account of a young woman's loss of innocence in a cruel world.

I tend to really like the movies most people find too depressing. Like the ancient Greeks I find human tragedy the greatest form of emotional catharsis. If you are the same way I recommend this film highly.