Is Anybody There
Cast: Michael Caine, Bill Milner, Anne-Marie Duff, David Morrissey
Dir: John Crowley
Rating: 5/5
Michael Caine has enjoyed a career that has spanned over fifty years and seen him bag six Oscar nominations, winning two.
In that time he has appeared in classics such as Get Carter, The Italian Job and, most recently, The Dark Knight. But he returned this year with British film Is Anybody There?
Set in a sleepy British seaside town in the 1980s, Is Anybody There? tells the story of a morbid, bookish 10-year-old boy whose parents have turned their house into a retirement home.
While his mother (Duff) struggles to keep the business afloat and his father (Morrissey) copes with the onset of a mid-life crisis, Edward (Milner) becomes increasingly obsessed with the afterlives of the home’s elderly residents, following them around with a tape-recorder to capture the sound of the soul as it escapes the mortal coil.
But Edward’s macabre turn of mind is distracted by the arrival of 'The Amazing' Clarence (Michael Caine), an anarchic retired magician and grieving widower who is determined to age disgracefully.
As an unlikely friendship blossoms between them, the old man comes to terms with his past, the child masters his fear of the future, and both learn to seize the day.
Alright so a movie that explores death and old age perhaps isn't everyone's cup of tea but Is Anybody There? is an absolute movie gem.
The movie looks at the truths of getting old and losing the people that we love but it does so with real warmth and sincerity.
And while it does deal with a bit of a mundane subject it does so with fun and a smile, that's largely thanks to Michael Caine's superb turn as Clarence.
Yes he has once again pulled another top notch performance out of the bag as former magician Clarence who is struggling to deal with the loss of his wife.
He is miserable and rude and has begrudgingly moves into the guest home that's run by Edward's parents. And while he black humour to the movie it's his grief and underlying regret that is truly heartbreaking. The movie is worth watching for his performance alone.
Son of Rambow's Bill Milner also puts in a terrific performance as Edward who is obsessed with the dead and what happens after death.
The rapport between Caine and Milner is incredibly tender as two terribly lonely people they are made for each other, and it's this relationship that really drives the film.
As well as the great cast, which also include Ann Marie Duff and David Morrissey, the script is beautifully written as it finds that fine blend of humour, drama and sadness.
But it's this central performance of both Caine and Milner that is really the reason to see this film.
Is Anybody There? is a poignant and touching look at the toughest parts of life that it's impossible to resist.
Is Anybody There? is out on DVD now.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Sir Michael Caine