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Reel Inspiration Review: When Did You Last See Your Father.

When Did You Last See Your Father ignores standard Hollywood wisdom: Keep the title short and catchy. Avoid flashbacks. The action should be external, not internal. Make films that appeal to teenage boys. And most of all, don't do stories about old, dying people.

In an article about what sells in Hollywood, an agent moans that she just can't read one more story about coping with aging, dying parents. The market was glutted with them. I couldn't help but think that this must be a very timely and heartfelt theme since it was popping up in so many scripts. Is it possible that there's an adult audience hungry for stories that help them deal with the hard issues in their lives?

When Did You Last See Your Father is based on Blake Morrison's heart wrenchingly honest autobiographical bestseller. It is the story of the forty year old writer's attempts to resolve his troubled relationship with his father as he deals with his immanent death. Collin Firth courageously portrays the estranged son's sometimes unlikable sentiments of resentment, frustration, confusion, and disappointment tinged with compassion for his fading father. Being home brings back memories of coming of age in his charismatic father's shadow and discovering some hard realities about the man. Thanks to Jim Broadbent's dynamic performance, we can see why the son was once proud of him - even though he never felt his father's approval. Blake goes on an internal journey where he finds that he has some of his father's weaknesses. He must decide what kind of man he is to become. At first, the film's lengthy title seems to accuse the grown son of neglecting his father. But by the end, we discover that the title actually asks, "When was the last time you really saw your father - without your own feelings of inadequacy and resentment getting in the picture? When was the last time you saw love?"

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No other actor could have played Jim Broadbent's part. He's fantastic as the stout father, who can never quite relay his intimate feelings and emotions to his son, who is played with understated brilliance by Colin Firth. Sarah Lancashire deserves a mention, who has a small part but delivers with consistent aplomb (she's great on the telly), and Matthew Beard as the young Blake Morrison, upon whom the film and book are auto-biographically based.

As his father lays on his deathbed, the son recounts his childhood memories of the part his dad played in his life, whether funny, mean, sad or eccentric. Smart direction plus great lead performances, at least one of which is definitely worthy of an Oscar, adds to the overall emotional connection with the audience and culminates with a surprisingly touching ending, despite it's inevitability.

Having seen the film with my mum, who not only read the book by Blake Morrison, but had a father much like the one portrayed in the film, I found it all the more connectible. But this is not to say it is not for everyone. I think we can all relate to the fathers who can never quite express how they truly feel, and the childhoods spent moping and dwelling on seemingly world-shattering things.

The cinema i saw this in had about ten people at most, which is shocking! We need to see more British films like this, if just to keep the British film industry going. It deserves to fill a theatre and gain much more exposure than it currently has, regardless of those who might say it would have been better placed on television.

It is a superb film, thoughtfully shot, very well written and a joy to be in the company of for all of it's ninety minutes. And yes, I cried at the end. Sniff. But maybe you will too.

I'm astonished by the miserable so-and-sos above who complain about the "overdone production" on this movie.

Anand Tucker and his crew have taken obvious pains to elevate a conventional story into a visual tone poem. Every shot shines with polish, care, and attention. If it said "A Ridley Scott Movie" at the beginning, the reviews would read "Scott brings his usual visual excellence to bear."

A terrific little movie, elevated out of its class, with nice performances (I especially enjoyed the underused Gina McKee, who is practically luminous in every scene).

Now, the rest of you get back to watching and praising the drab and visually tedious kitchen sink junk that the British film industry does "so" well...

After seeing 'When Did You Last See Your Father?', I was reminded that I was relieved that when I lost my Father a scant four years ago, we parted on very good terms. This is a powder keg of a film that manages to spill many tears & hidden truths about a father & son. The story, taken from the true accounts by writer Blake Morrison,is about the love/hate, love/love, hate/hate relationship Morrison shared with his own father, played to perfection by Jim Broadbent (of many a Mike Leigh film). Besides the well written/adapted screenplay,top notch direction & superb acting by the entire cast, I really admired the photography, utilizing light & dark & positioning as a framing device. The films's editing is a sight to behold, too (the way the action cuts back & forth in time over a period of 30 plus years). Hopefully, when Oscar time rolls around next year, 'When Did You Last See Your Father' will be a prime contender for at least a couple of awards.

At the end of the last conversation I had with my father before he died, he called me a horse's ass. That conversation was the final topper to a very complicated relationship as my father was a man that I feared as a child and pretty much disliked as an adult. Yet, some of the fondest memories I have of my life involve my father and our times together.

I guess all relationships between fathers and sons could best be described as knotty, but the one shown in this film, I must admit, hit very close to home. Perhaps that's why I enjoyed the film as much as I did, and it appears from the comments of viewers and critics that I enjoyed it far more than most viewers.

The basic story, I'm sure, has been repeated countless times throughout history and will be repeated countless times in the future. Blake, a highly successful writer and editor, never received the recognition of "a job well done" from his father. Arthur is a popular physician and raconteur who constantly failed to show his admiration for his son's profession.

Blake realized at an early age that his father had been having a long-term affair with his aunt, and this knowledge colored every part of their relationship. One thing that Blake cannot understand is why his mother stays married to his father for he is sure that she, also, is aware of her husband's relationship with her sister.

The story begins in the present, but most of it is told in flashbacks as Arthur is dying. The adult Blake is played by Colin Firth with just the right amount of distance and depression. He is not a happy man because he never has been able to come to terms with his feelings for his father. Teenaged Blake is played beautifully by Matthew Beard. It is this Blake that we see most of in the film, and his performance is impressive.

Juliet Stevenson is a wonderful actress, and she gives this film a strong, quiet - but not necessarily longtime suffering - performance as Blake's mother. She is one of those women whom you never realize her strength and resourcefulness until push comes to shove.

Jim Broadbent may be a touch over the top as Arthur, but, for me, he hits the nail on the head. We all have public and private faces. Arthur rarely reveals the private one. I found myself liking him in spite of myself.

As I said, this film turned out to be very personal to me. I found myself sometimes being amazed at how much Arthur was like my own father and Blake so much like myself. Even without the personal insight, I think you will find this a rewarding look at the bond between two strong, yet totally different men - OR - the bond between two strong, completely similar men. Fathers and sons - will that connection ever be fully understood?