L'anniversario

This is what they should reserve the word drama for. Very powerful and real performances all around. Alan Bates gives a rousing portrayal as the older brother Andy, who constantly berates and somewhat belittles everyone of his family members. He is the star apparently, but little known Brian Cox also shines as the younger brother Steven. He is pretty young in this one, but his acting has and always will be phenomenal in almost anything he does. The movie itself is a bit lagging in terms of pace and story. All the brothers come home and tension ensures, not much more I can give away than that. It's worth checking out for Brian Cox fans, such as myself. I really enjoyed this film and it's more emotional fare than I'm used to. As real to life as any drama can get.

This is old school acting so redolent of the British stage during its 'angry young man' heyday. Bolam simmers throughout and does more with a body posture than other modern actors do with a facial expression; Cox ruminates throughout, a beautiful portrayal of a soul in torment; and Bates gesticulates, explodes and with sheer energy of purpose drives this drama. This is acting of the highest order. Yes it's stagey - it was written for the stage! But Anderson takes us up close and personal mirroring the claustrophobia of the subject matter - a family crippled by the past and barely able to cover the cracks. The director makes us feel like we are part of the room and it is uncomfortable but compulsive viewing.

The acting here is quite competent, and it is interesting to watch one of Lindsay Anderson's lesser known films, however adapted from a theatre play, it does not disguise its roots very well, and it is quite talkative with little real action. Action is not necessary for all types of film, but in this case having the characters sitting or standing about while talking is not enough for the material to have spice. It is about emotional confrontations, and sure enough, the performers deliver well in some intense scenes. But as a film and not a theatre production, it only ever feels half-baked, and it certainly does not showcase Anderson's directing skills, which proved to be great in his trilogy with Malcolm McDowell.

The great Lindsay Anderson adapts another play for film.

Quite interesting, well acted (a then quite young Alan Bates, Brian Cox, Bill Owen among others) study of dysfunctional working class English family where the three sons have become educated and moved up in the world, but are still stuck in the wounds of their childhood.

The production still feels very stagy, and some of the writing is too theatrical for film, but much of the play is moving and nicely complex; finding ways to combine the personal and the political.

It does feel a bit dated -- from a time when breaking away from living the life your parents expected was still a more radical idea.

If you are looking for some of the wonderful off kilter charm of Lindsey Anderson's other films, you might be disappointed with this. If you are able to respond to great filmed theater along the lines of "Glengarry Glen Ross," "Long Day's Journey Into Night," Olivier's "Othello" and indeed the American Film Theater's great movie "The Homecoming", you may go all the way with this one, which I found a deeply moving experience.

Storey's play has some odd parallels to Pinter's "Homecoming" (a comic horror story of family that is perhaps the best of the brief life of the American Film Theater series) and perhaps primed by that film

I was sort of waiting for something bitter or freakish to occur for about the first half. But it is Storey's purpose to illustrate that even among families of great love and decency, dark secrets and bitter resentments can brew.

The film brings much humor and intensity to the subject. It's a thing of beauty. Critically

the affection Storey has for his characters never slips into sentimentality. This movie was a

big discovery for me. Give it a shot and see what you think.