Sailcloth
Starring: John Hurt
Director: Elfar Adalsteins
Rating: 5/5
Sailcloth follows an elderly widower, played by John Hurt, as he kicks off a series of events that allow him to escape from the home where he lives.
Taking his belongings with him he reaches the harbour where his trusty boat is waiting for him - ready to take him on that final journey.
Sailcloth may be less that twenty minutes long and be a movie where there is no dialogue but it a truly moving piece of cinema.
And this is largely thanks to the stunning central performance by John Hurt - it's hard to imagine any other actor expressing so much loneliness and heartbreak without uttering a single word.
It's a heart wrenching performance that tackles the issue of loneliness in later life and I defy you not have a tear in your eye as the movie comes to a close.
Director Elfar Adalsteins should be applauded for the bold move that he made with this movie as he has produced a beautiful short.
But he expertly shows that words are not always required that expressions can be enough to tell a poignant and yet heart-breaking tale.
This delicate direction is beautifully complimented by the score by Richard Cottle and Karl Oskarsson's cinematography.
Imagery is a huge part of this film and there was not a scene more stunning than that if John Hurt dancing in the boat as he remembers his wife.
This is a little gem of a movie and deserves all of the acclaim and awards attention that is coming it's way.
Bravo for a bold and yet emotional piece of work.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in John Hurt