Margaret's Museum

"Margaret's Museum" tells of a young Nova Scotia woman who's bound by her family ties to a coal mining town where frequent accidents in the "pit" take their toll on the mine workers and their families. Not just another coal mining flick, "MM" focuses with musings, humor, and poignant moments on Margaret, who's nose is always running, and her assorted quirky family and friends. An engrossing, somewhat compelling, and almost charming little film, "MM" should appeal to those with a taste for slice-of-life flicks involving eccentric folk.

I saw this first in the theatre, it didn't stay too long, so I was lucky. For the life of me I don't understand how these movies don't get the publicity they deserve. Saint Ralph comes to mind, C.R.A.Z.Y., and the "Hanging Garden" et al. Lovely homegrown efforts with a story line and casting and the kind of breathtaking scenery that doesn't leave your mind for a while.

This is eccentric in the extreme, you wonder where it is going from the outset when a woman leaves a little local museum in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, screaming her head off.

The story unwinds charmingly and tragically. Helena Bonham Carter sinks her teeth into the role of the sniffling Margaret, all quirky and saucy who captures the heart of the drunken ex-miner bagpiper extraordinaire and Gaelic aficionado, Neil Currie, played by the devilish Clive Russell. Sparks fly, some highly erotic bits between the two. Kate Nelligan as Margaret's mother, plays a hardnosed sarcastic and bitter woman who has lost her husband and a son to the mines and is caring for her elderly father who can't breathe for the coal dust in his lungs.

I won't spoil the story, it winds to its sad and shocking conclusion in its own time, suffice to say that there are many lovely side bits ( a blossoming love story between Margaret's young brother and the daughter of the manager of the mine being one).

8 out of 10. Supporting cast and music were wonderful. A few little story holes that were slightly annoying - an uncle supposedly out on bail for arson back in his old job lickety split and a grandchild that had disappeared - but not enough to detract from an overall fine film. Even the second time around!

Margaret's Museum (1995) UK/Canada 114m, Colour Director: Mort Ransen; Cast: Helena Bonham Carter, Clive Russell, Craig Olejnik, Kate Nelligan, Kenneth Welsh, Andrea Morris

Margaret's Museum is a dark and tragic love story about a woman's grief and defiance after losing much of her family to the coal mines in Glace Bay Nova Scotia during the 1940s. Based on Sheldon Currie's 1979 novel entitled The Glace Bay Miners' Museum, Margaret's Museum is a beautifully photographed and wonderfully scored film with haunting and unforgettable images and melodies. A deeply moving and original film, Helena Bonham Carter and Clive Russell give remarkably convincing and heartfelt performances in this powerful film about life and death in small Canadian coal mining community (Klaus Ming September 2013).

I have forgotten the reason that prompted me to seek out this film, but I did. And it was a pleasant surprise. The film was slow, but acting was good, and the depiction of a mining community in the 50's fairly realistic.

Helena B.C. looked commonplace without the heavy makeup required for most of her roles in the likes of 'Room With A View', and looked natural and well-fitted for her role. The background music was well chosen, and very becoming of the stage it set, as was the scenery.

Overall, this film is a small gem. Too bad it has been little known and not promoted properly.

I'm not sure anything new can be done with this type of story, but this movie doesn't really try. Director/co-writer Mort Ransen does try to make it somewhat fresh, I guess, by centering the story about a woman, and Helena Bonham Carter, as usual, is quite good in this role. I also liked Clive Russell, the humor he brought to the movie, and the chemistry he had with Carter. But as Carter's mother, Kate Nelligan (who I like) runs the gamut of expressions from A to B, and it just becomes too predictable.