Albatros

A fabulous pastry pleases all your senses and leaves you with a bit of chocolate on your lip and wanting more. I gorged on this one. But there's more to be said for this movie. It takes a clever but easily clichéd story line and spins it out so freshly creative it makes your face hurt from smiling. And all the moguls with the money should line up to honor Jessica Brown-Findlay who took a cleverly written part and turned it into an award winning performance. But I must be honest and say that the TR-2 might have influenced me. When I was 16, I lusted for a bright red version on the showroom floor in upstate New York. How much better can you make a movie for a 71 year old incurable romantic who can still remember what lust is all about.

Emelia Conan Doyle (Jessica Brown Findlay) claims to be a descendant of the great writer Arthur Conan Doyle. She takes a cleaning job at a seaside hotel owned by Jonathan Fischer (Sebastian Koch). He's struggling with writer's block and holed up in the attic. He has combative wife Joa (Julia Ormond), bookish daughter Beth (Felicity Jones), and six year old Posy. Emelia befriends Beth who is applying for Oxford. Emelia claims to be a writer but she can't live up to her family name. As Jonathan mentors her, they begin an affair.

Jessica Brown Findlay and Felicity Jones are both lovely although this movie may be better if there is a darker, sexier edge. This plays more like a light relationship drama. The story suggests an eroticism that this movie does not have despite Findlay flashing her boobs comically. There is a darker edge that nobody is able to deliver other than Ormond. The story, the performances, and the tone don't completely click.

Jessica Findlay Brown, who is starting to make a name for herself by shining in Downton Abbey is a truly sensational young actress who people should certainly keep an eye on, give it a few years and she'll be everywhere I suspect. Albatross is a film which kind of reminded me of another British film of late, Tamara Drewe, the plot line of both ate very similar, but this film has a great drama and family aspect to it also, that's not to say it's not funny either because it is. The film starts off somewhat confusing, you don't know where it's headed but it's not long til you get the hang of the direction and you just enjoy the ride, the story is about a social misfit who imposes herself on a family in desperate need of a kick start, she befriends the teenage daughter, wonderfully played by the luminous Felicity Jones, starts a brief affair with the father and comes head to head with the high strung mother. The affair plot line is what reminds me of Tamara Drewe, this is the plot line I found the least interesting but hey the movie has so many great scenes it's hard not to enjoy.

The performances are pretty good all round, Brown and Jones are the standouts though, I did find the Julia Ormond character to be an absolute annoyance, and somehow I think the character would have been different if played by a nicer actress, I'm not saying she's not good but I'd rather see someone else in this role.

This really is Jessica Findlay-Brown's film all the way, she owns every scene she is in, she steals the show all the way through, the film is just give or take, it's not gonna change your life but you aren't going to hate it either, it will sure brighten up your day though. And as I said, keep your eye on Brown, I bet she's the next big thing. :)

In the evocative location of the Isle of Man there is Emelia Doyle, a teenager who lives with her grandparents (her mother committed suicide, her father disappeared). She tries to become a writer because she is convinced that she is a descendant of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, but in the meantime she only scrapes together menial jobs; then there's a failed writer, Jonathan Fischer, author of a single successful novel on which he lives off a pension, without being able to write anything decent anymore; finally there's the writer's daughter, Bethany, a young girl with no experience due to parents unable to let her go, who aspires to continue her studies at the coveted Oxford University.

A charming comedy with three characters who don't have the courage to take a step forward in their lives: they help each other, almost without wanting to, to give themselves a push, to "rewrite", to become aware of themselves. The film is convincing thanks to a certain irony that amiably mocks the characters, to the delightful naive grace of Felicity Jones (Bethany), to the irreverent, cheeky, sensual but also tenderly defenceless humanity of Jessica Brown Findlay (Emelia), who in the end manages to get rid of her alibi for doing nothing with her life (the albatross around her neck of choleridgian memory) and starts writing seriously. A little-known, rather neglected comedy, but definitely worth a look.

Introducing a new mega-star: Jessica Brown Findlay. Some films are destined to remain in the shadows of the stars they create. Albatross is one of those films.

The story follows Emelia, a rebellious, seductive and intelligent teenager played by Brown Findlay. Taking a job as a cleaner at a guest house, Emelia befriends the teen daughter of the house, begins an affair with the husband and gets scowled at by the wife and mother of the family who live there.

Alternating between comedy and drama, the film has an awkward tone. The writer Tamzin Rafn claims it was written as a comedy but there are only occasional really funny moments. Instead, it is the drama that is more gripping with a range of characters who are trapped in miserable lives in a beautiful but dead-end location. Filmed with a great eye for scenery on the breathtaking coast of the Isle of Man by director of photography Jan Jonaeus, the narrative takes in the kids on the beaches, the family in the guest house and most notably Emelia and new friend Beth. But these disparate people all appear confined and resigned to unfulfilling and disappointing existences.

Emelia's snarky way with words brightens and amuses what could be a depressing film. There are laughs to be had and there is hope for a better life for many of the characters, but the film is dealing with some serious issues like Alzheimer's, suicide and unfulfilled potential. Perhaps director Niall MacCormick saw an opportunity to inject more drama into what could have been a fluffier lightweight British comedy and went for it.

The cast are all excellent, Sebastan Koch all guilty nervous ticks, Julia Ormond neglected, spiteful and probably the saddest character in the story. But Felicity Jones and Jessica Brown Findlay carry the weight of the film and are believable opposites, angel and devil, bookworm and loose cannon. Brown Findlay particularly shines with comic delivery of vicious put-downs but also scenes of more hefty emotional weight. It is the moments spent with Emelia's grand parents that help to explain the actions of this troubled young woman and will keep audiences sympathising with what could have been a one-dimensional typical teen tearaway.

See it for the scenery, the performances and for the drama. Witness the making of a star! Writer Tamzin Rafn and star Jessica Brown Findlay attended a screening and answered questions from the assembled audience on Monday (03/10/11) night. Thanks to LoveFilm as always for another great opportunity to hear from the people involved.