|
In
Song For Marion we
see how true love will last a lifetime and will change you when you
least
expect it. Arthur (Terence Stamp) and Marion (Vanessa Redgrave) are an
elderly
married couple who are quite clearly the centre of each other’s world.
Marion
is gravely ill and her greatest thrill in life is participating in a
choir of
pensioners, led by young music teacher, Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton). As
Marion
gets weaker and weaker, Arthur feels himself drifting towards this
quirky group
of people and singing turns into his unlikely coping mechanism when his
beloved
wife leaves this world.
Song
For Marion
is
promoted as being a film which everyone can find relatable. Well, this
is
pretty much true because it appeals to you if you are a husband or a
wife, a
father or a mother, a son or daughter, a grandparent or a grandchild.
The only
thing is that this doesn’t necessarily mean is that it will be
everyone’s cup
of tea. The film is actually quite confronting as it brings our
mortality into
perspective. The very morbid thought that you leave Song
For Marion with is that the day will come when you lose
someone you love and will have to deal with it. It is a very morbid
thought and
one which you don’t want to think about too much because it is really a
very
depressing one. It is no surprise that this film is very teary and sad
in
parts.
On
the other hand though, there are some very funny moments
throughout the film. It doesn’t make what is depressing about the film
any less
depressing, but it saves Song For Marion
from being just being a confronting film. The members of the choir are
really
very funny. There is beauty in the way that the OAPZ embrace everything
which
they do and find no negativity or protest. Their rendition of “Ace Of
Spades”
by Motorhead is especially funny.
The
script is very well written by director, Paul Andrew Williams.
Although Song For Marion is quite
predictable and does have the expected clichés of a film like this,
these
clichés aren’t made overtly obvious. Nor is it corny at all. The script
has
just the right balance of everything to make it naturally emotional as
though
it isn’t even trying to be.
Terence
Stamp is truly wonderful in his role as the seemingly
grumpy Arthur. His performance is very subtle, yet so moving and
beautiful. His
performance is done more through what you see on screen rather than
what he
says. Vanessa Redgrave is also just divine as Marion. The chemistry
between
Stamp and Redgrave is brilliant. They really seem like a couple who
have loved each
other for so long, and even though they have their tough moments you
can see
how raw and natural their love is. Gemma Arterton is lovely and
Christopher
Eccleston is also very good. Orla Hill, who plays Arthur and Marion’s
granddaughter is gorgeous and her youth and bright outlook on life is
so
endearing.
Song
For Marion
is
wonderful because it is not a complicated film, nor a forced one. It
just flows
so naturally with waves of emotion and laughs in all the right places.
It is one
of those films that makes you appreciate the ones you love because you
don’t
know how long you will have them for.
|
