Some Voices (2000)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Simon Cellan Jones

Writer:

Joe Penhall (writer)

Release Date:

25 August 2000 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Plot:

A schizophrenic causes havoc in his brother's restaurant. |

Plot Keywords:

Restaurant | Male Frontal Nudity | Mistreatment | Mental Patient | Hallucination

Awards:

2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Daniel Craig	...	Ray
David Morrissey	...	Pete
Kelly Macdonald	...	Laura
Julie Graham	...	Mandy
Peter McDonald	...	Dave
Nicholas Palliser	...	Ray's Friend
Huss Garbiya	...	Man with Mobile
Edward Tudor-Pole	...	Lighter Seller (as Edward Tudor Pole)
Ashley Walters	...	Kitchen Hand
Gem Durham	...	Cashier
Cate Fowler	...	Benefits Agency Woman

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Australia:MA | France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Spain:13 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Goldhawk Road, Shepherd's Bush, London, England, UK

Company:

Dragon Pictures

Quotes:

Laura: Squeeze the breath out of me. It makes me feel safe.

Movie Connections:

Features "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons" (1967)

Soundtrack:

Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck

Great script, superb performances

This was a film I saw completely "on spec" having not heard of it before. As is often the way, when there are no expectations to be dashed, the experience was entirely worthwhile.

Without giving too much plot away, our hero - or more accurately our anti-hero - is discharged at the start of the film from a psychiatric hospital. He is returned, with a large supply of tablets, to his brother's care within "the community". When he falls for a woman, who reciprocates, life seems better than it has ever been, and he begins to question whether the endless tablets are actually necessary.

This is a film which is above all honest. The performances are truthful and insightful, and the characters are drawn sympathetically but not blandly. We are shown flaws and strengths, and we are invited to observe and empathise but not judge. The laughter - and it is not in short supply - comes from the foibles of the characters we are presented with, and as in life, provides a welcome relief from the more tragic elements.

As the film moves towards its conclusion - via a 10 minute sequence of genuine breathtaking tension - the answers provided are not easy, and the loose ends are not tied up, yet this acts not to frustrate the viewer but simply to reinforce that this is the genuine article - life has no easy solutions.

I have rated this film as a 9 out of 10; it lacks the perception about the human condition, the wider scope or relevance of, say "American Beauty", but that was never its intention, and it is designed, I suspect, with a smaller audience in mind. It is, however, a beauty in its own right, and I would whole-heartedly recommend it as a thought- provoking way of spending a couple of hours.