Astronomy

This was one of those, 'just happened to be watching that channel when it came on'. I have never forgotten and have always wanted to see it again. Beautifully written, Superbly acted and Directed with such love, care and attention that it's obvious. This film really, really touched me, just in case I haven't made that clear yet!!

I caught this short film on TV as a kid. It was played along with another short called "The Price of Life." I instantly loved it. I searched for it, but even the station it played on couldn't give me any leads. It was quiet and thoughtful, like a Merchant Ivory, but full of interesting elements, like a child's bug collection stashed in the rear window of an abandoned car, woven together into a focused theme. I'll never forget the scene in which the mother dies her hair bright red, and the way her daughter proclaims in a quiet whisper full of wonder that it looks like a rocket. The story is on the sad side offering no real beyond escape from life, which is its one down side. But I related to that as a child. I'm glad to find it here in the ever extensive database at IMDB. Maybe someday I'll try to get my hands on it again.

A young girl and her mother live in a run down little flat where they struggle to pay the rent. With the mother clearly struggling to keep things together, she turns to her daughter to help her out by doing odd jobs such as polishing shoes. Looking for any way out, the little girl meets a local boy who plays golf off the roof of his trailer.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this film and I have to be honest and say that I'm not totally sure what it was about even now that I have seen it. I know that other reviewers here seem to have been profoundly touched by it but I don't mind being seen as an idiot for saying that it didn't do anything for me. The plot seems to be a very personal story for the writer and the writer alone; it doesn't help the audience by filling in detail in the plot of the characters.

The result of this is that the film didn't allow me to connect enough with it to feel anything. I can definitely relate to a life where people are trapped and see no way out, but I can't just turn that feeling of empathy on if I'm spending my time trying to work out what is going on or what the characters are actually feeling. In particular I found the feelings of the little girl almost impossible to get a grip on. It felt like the film had given her some `meaningful' dialogue but it must only be meaningful to those that understand the characters - I didn't.

The cast are OK and include a minor role for Elizondo. Bellamy is a good child actress judging by this, delivering her lines with confidence and sensitivity - it's just a shame that she isn't given the material to work with. York character is easier to understand and she performs pretty well.

Overall this film looks good and has been well directed, but I couldn't shake the feeling that the story will be most impacting to an audience of one - the writer. The script didn't help me understand the character more than superficially and for this reason I found it hard to relate to the action as it happened or to really feel for the characters.