Agnès Browne

`Agnes Browne' is a genuine charmer, a simple, but heartwarming comedy/drama directed by and starring the magnificent Anjelica Huston. Set in a lower class Dublin neighborhood in 1967, the story centers around Agnes, an attractive woman whose husband has just died leaving her sole provider for her seven children, ranging in age from early adolescence to diaper-wetting toddler. With the love of her best friend, Marion, to support her (this almost seems to be more of a love story between them than between Agnes and Pierre, the local Frenchman who falls for her), Agnes learns to cope with financial set backs, the neighborhood extortionist, the growing pains of her children and, most tragically, the terminal illness of someone very dear to her heart.

`Agnes Browne' could have emerged as a heavy-handed wallow in tragedy and bathos, but those involved both in front of and behind the cameras have managed to maintain an air of breezy likeability even in the film's darkest moments. If there is a criticism to be leveled against the movie, it would probably be that the film is actually - at a mere 92-minute running time - a bit too short. We occasionally feel we are being rushed from one event to another without time for proper reflection. Moreover, a number of the characters – prime among them Pierre and several of the children – tend to get lost in the shuffle. As the silent, sensitive and understanding merchant who woos and wins Agnes, Pierre simply seems too much like the `ideal man' stereotype who always seems to be just waiting in the wings the moment one of these attractive but harried movie widows/divorcees is starting life anew out on her own.

A much more well rounded and three-dimensional character is that of Agnes' best friend, Marion, (beautifully portrayed by Marion O'Dwyer), a warmhearted, fun-loving woman who provides the kind of confidant and companion that all of us would love to have in our lives. But the real selling point of `Agnes Browne' is, undoubtedly, the luminous performance delivered by Anjelica Huston herself. This fine actress manages to flow seamlessly in and out of a wide variety of emotionally demanding moods and moments. Stern and demanding one moment, she can be forgiving and loving the next. Whether alternately strong or vulnerable, idealistic or pragmatic, heartbroken or joyful, Agnes is a character who demands and earns the complete attention and respect from the audience who can't help but be riveted by her every move. With her glowing portrayal, Huston literally lights up the center of this movie.

Yes, the fairy tale ending may seem a bit out of place perhaps. Yet, in a way, for all its moments of death, heartbreak and sorrow, `Agnes Browne' never really aspires to be anything BUT a charming fairy tale. Given the quality of so much of what we see up on the screen, we really couldn't ask for more.

In Dublin, 1967, a woman with seven children is suddenly faced with the travails of widowhood in `Agnes Browne,' directed by and starring Anjelica Huston. After the unexpected death of her husband, life becomes something less than a picnic for Agnes (Huston), what with children ranging in age from two to fourteen and no assets to speak of. She keeps her head above water and some food on the table by selling fruit at an outdoor market, but makes barely enough to make ends meet, while she awaits her widow's pension from her late husband's union. But even when and if it comes, she realizes it won't be enough on which to live. It's a bleak state of affairs for Agnes, who luckily has a dear friend, Marion (Marion O'Dwyer), who is always there for her; and with friendship, a sense of humor, and the dream of seeing Tom Jones in concert, it's enough to keep her going as she manages to take it all one day at a time. There are poignant moments in this character driven, heartwarming film, as well as some funny ones; Huston has done an outstanding job of creating a mood and an atmosphere that brings the Irish working class vividly to life, and she populates her landscape with characters who are not only real, but incredibly rich in their humanity. She captures the heart of Agnes and the others with an emotional depth that draws in the viewer and allows the empathy through which an intimate bond with the characters is established. And they quickly become more than just characters in a story; these are people you come to care about, and when something bad or untoward happens to any of them, you feel it just as deeply as they. Huston gives a terrific performance as Agnes, imbuing her with both a strength and vulnerability that make her real. She has a look of world-weariness about her, but there's a glint of hope and humor in her eyes, which are like a doorway to her soul; you need only look there to know what she is feeling inside. And Huston plays it all so perfectly. In her motion picture debut, O'Dwyer gives a memorable performance as well, as Marion; though nondescript in appearance, there is nevertheless something charming about this woman, and it has everything to do with `character.' Through her unwavering loyalty to Agnes she personifies the meaning of friendship, and exemplifies how invaluable a true friend can be, especially in times of need. It's a touching portrayal that is one of the strengths of the film. The supporting cast includes Niall O'Shea (Mark), Ciaran Owens (Frankie), Roxanna Williams (Cathy), Carl Power (Simon), Mark Power (Dermot), Ray Winstone (Mr. Billy), June Rodgers (Fat Annie), Jennifer Gibney (Winnie the Mackerel) and Tom Jones as himself. No stranger to all things Irish, Huston was the perfect choice to star in and direct this project. With `Agnes Browne,' she succeeds splendidly, with a film that is striking both visually and emotionally. And, lest it be taken for granted, one need but consider Alan Parker's `Angela's Ashes,' which visited the same territory but came off flat and uninspired, especially compared to Huston's film, which so distinctly and fervently imparts the essence of the proud Irish poor. Largely ignored during it's theatrical release, this film hopefully will find a second life on DVD and video, and realize the acclaim it so richly deserves. A real sleeper, this is a gem of a film just waiting to be discovered. I rate this one 8/10.

AGNES BROWNE (1999) **1/2 Anjelica Huston, Marion O' Dwyer, Ray Winstone, Tom Jones

(cameo). Huston, who also co-produced with filmmaker Jim Sheridan and

directs in her big-screen debut, gives it her all as stoic, decent

Irish mother of seven in Dublin circa 1967 whose adjustment to

widowhood takes its toll in her daily struggle to keep her brood

under wraps even as she attempts to enjoy her life as it proceeds.

Straight forward but no real sense of palpable tension even as it

dredges up the themes of death, poverty and an unsteady future.

This is an excellent picture of the life of working-class women on the housing estates ('projects' to Americans,probably as true now as in the 'sixties, as well as being a very good movie for women actors. The men are cyphers but the women and children are real enough. The colour is almost real (compared to Angela's Ashes), the dialogue believable, the dress and make-up accurate, in fact the design of the whole piece is convincing and satisfying visually and its sentimentality is not so sweet as to stick to back of the teeth. Anjelica Huston is unselfish. I have my doubts about Tom Jones' scenes at the end, but nothing's perfect. I find it growing on me as I look back on it.

What I want to know is, what's up with Arno Chevrier's hippie-length hair in this movie? It's extremely long for 1967, yet not a single character comments on it. And Tom Jones, by the time this movie was filmed, was way too old to play the 1967 version of himself. By coincidence, I saw an actual Tom Jones performance from 1967 on an Ed Sullivan rerun the night before I saw AGNES BROWNE, and it almost didn't look like the same guy.

Now that I've got that off my chest, how was AGNES BROWNE? A little raunchier than I expected, in a chick-flick sort of way, also very sentimental and predictable-not that that's necessarily a bad thing. AGNES BROWNE is the cinematic equivalent of comfort food; it's not a challenging or particularly unusual film, but if you buy into it, it'll leave you with a nice warm feeling inside. And Dublin has never looked more beautiful on film.

One other thing-if you've seen SEXY BEAST, watch for Ray Winstone (`Gal') as Mr. Billy, the loan shark who terrorizes Agnes and her family. His performance is electrifying.