My Left Foot

Daniel Day Lewis is one of the best actors of our time and one of my favorites. It is amazing how much he throws himself in each of the characters he plays making them real.

I remember, many years ago, we had a party in our house - the friends came over, we were sitting around the table, eating, drinking the wine, talking, laughing - having a good time. The TV was on - there was a movie which we did not pay much attention to. Then, suddenly, all of us stopped talking and laughing. The glasses did not clink, the forks did not move, the food was getting cold on the plates. We could not take our eyes off the screen where the young crippled man whose entire body was against him and who only had a control over his left foot, picked up a piece of chalk with his foot and for what seemed the eternity tried to write just one word on the floor. When he finished writing that one word, we all knew that we had witnessed not one but three triumphs - the triumph of a human will and spirit, the triumph of the cinema which was able to capture the moment like this on the film, and the triumph of an actor who did not act but who became his character.

Jim Sheridan's "My Left Foot" is an riveting, unsentimental bio-drama about Christy Brown, the man who was born with cerebral palsy in a Dublin slum; who became an artist and a writer and who found a love of his life.

I like every one of Day Lewis's performances (I have mixed feelings about his performance in GONY) but I believe that his greatest role was Christy Brown in "My Left Foot"

'My Left Foot' is the remarkable story of Christy Brown, born into a working-class Irish family with cerebral palsy. Growing up in a life full of poverty and extreme prejudice, Christy defied everyone's expectations. Using his left foot, the only part of his body he had proper control over, the young man learned to write and paint.

I could spend this review talking about the film's excellent portrayal of working class Ireland, and the working class Irish family specifically. I could talk about how the film does a good job of showing how the attitudes towards Christy Brown changed as Ireland's own political landscape changed. I could probably also talk about the role of women in Christy's life, from his mother and sisters, to the loves in his life. All of these things are worthy of mention.

However, when talking about 'My Left Foot', there is one thing that stands out above everything else; that being Daniel Day-Lewis. Day-Lewis had already proved his acting chops in the excellent 'My Beautiful Laundrette, but it was this movie that put him on the map globally. And rightly so: he is absolutely fantastic as Christy Brown.

Acting is difficult at the best of times, when you're playing a fully-functioning human being. What Day-Lewis achieves, therefore, is even more admirable. It is an extremely effective and realistic portrayal of someone suffering from cerebral palsy, and the actor goes gung-ho with both the physicality expressiveness required for the role. It is a joy to watch.

An honourable mention also needs to go to Hugh O'Conor, who plays the younger Brown. I can only assume that it is even harder for a child to go through the rigours that the role requires, but O'Conor is brilliant. What makes the character difficult to play is that, in trying to make it look real physically, the emotion required can be lost. Both actors avoid that problem with what seems like relative ease: at no point does the efficacy or emotion of the moments falter.

All the other stuff mentioned above are worthy of talking about, if I intended to write a longer review. But for this small thing, I think it is more than enough to say that 'My Left Foot' deserves to be seen just for this landmark Daniel Day-Lewis performance. Whatever you may think of the film as a whole, or whether you care about the story of Christy Brown or not, it is secondary to the simple appreciation for an actor at the top of his game.

Notable for marking the commencement of Daniel Day-Lewis' personal version of method acting, My Left Foot presents the widely acclaimed actor pushing himself to the extreme in what is undoubtedly one of the proudest works of his acting career. And even though the film doesn't have anything else to offer, the performances are strong enough to keep the viewers engaged.

Based on the autobiography of the same name, My Left Foot tells the story of Christy Brown; an Irishman who was born with cerebral palsy but despite his handicap went on to become an artist & writer, all with the help of the only thing he could fully control: his left foot. The film covers his upbringing in a poor family, his daily struggles, discovery of new passions & also his stint with love.

Wonderfully directed by Jim Sheridan, the film is heartwarming & heartbreaking at the same time, and is an inspiring insight into the life of Christy Brown that makes the viewers go through various emotions, but pity isn't one of them. The technical aspects are finely executed & have nothing special going on but it's in the performances where the film manages to make the most lasting impression.

There are three key performances that are worth noting here. First is Daniel Day-Lewis who delves into his character like never before & plays him from inside-out. Next is Brenda Fricker who strongly chips in as Christy's mother. And last we have Hugh O'Connor who is as good as Day-Lewis for his portrayal of young Christy Brown sets up a perfect stage for Day-Lewis to take over.

On an overall scale, My Left Foot is a touching tale about the indomitable will of the human spirit to triumph against all odds, and succeeds mainly because of the unforgettable performances from its highly committed cast. But even if the film is entirely dependent on its acting strength, it still makes up for a rich cinematic experience that comes as a must for Daniel Day-Lewis' admirers as well as critics.

Let me state at the outset that I have Cerebral Palsy and I went into this film expecting to have to make allowances for the lead performance. I left the theater half-convinced that they'd cast an actor who had Cerebral Palsy in the role, even though I knew that was not the case. The performances were generally excellent, with a special nod to Brenda Fricker and to Hugh O'Conner (I believe that's his name) as the young Christy Brown. Christy is talented, brash, arrogant, at times vulgar and petulant-in other words, human. This film, along with Gaby: A True Story and the documentary King Gimp, are excellent portrayals of life with CP. By no means a complete portrait, but fine examples of the disabled as human beings. Most highly recommended.

After watching The Left Foot, I have came to the conclusion that Daniel-Day Lewis the greatest actor alive and perhaps the greatest actor ever! But for the film itself, it's a powerful film that's well directed, well-acted, masterfully written, and provokes a good amount of emotion. But most of all, it spreads awareness about this handicap. Cerebral Palsy is something people should know about this and while not a propaganda piece, this film does a good job on giving the audience information about this disorder.

Jim Sheridan's film tells the biography of a man named Christy Brown. Born with cerebral palsy, the story goes from his tough childhood to his even tougher adulthood where he becomes an expert writer and painter despite the fact he only has mobility with his left foot.

Now on to Daniel Day-Lewis. I think people would agree with me on where I stand with him as an actor. He puts every ounce of effort into his roles and he acts as if he is actually the character he is portraying. After his roles in "In the Name of the Father", "Lincoln", "Gangs of New York", and "There Will Be Blood," I can honestly say he is the best actor ever. Also, I must single out Brenda Fricker in this role as Christy's mother because she does such an amazing job.

Overall, My Left Foot is a wonderful film that tells a story of a condition that many people must suffer through. I am glad there is a film that brings proper awareness to the condition and hence, much emotion is provoked. On technical terms, this film not the best since I felt it could use just a little better editing. But story-wise, yes it is perfect. I rate this film 9/10.