Morvern Callar (2002)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Lynne Ramsay

Writers:

Liana Dognini (writer)
Lynne Ramsay (writer)
(more)

Release Date:

1 November 2002 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Following her boyfriend's suicide, supermarket clerk Morvern Callar passes off his unpublished novel as her own...

Plot Keywords:

Supermarket | Friend | Money | Supermarket Clerk | Scotland

Awards:

9 wins & 14 nominations

Cast

Samantha Morton	...	Morvern Callar
Kathleen McDermott	...	Lanna
Linda McGuire	...	Vanessa
Ruby Milton	...	Couris Jean
Dolly Wells	...	Susan
Dan Cadan	...	Dazzer
Carolyn Calder	...	Sheila Tequila
Raife Patrick Burchell	...	Boy in Room 1022
Steve Cardwell	...	Welcoming Courier
Bryan Dick	...	Guy with Hat's Mate
El Carrette	...	Gypsy Taxi Driver
Andrew Flanagan	...	Overdose
Des Hamilton	...	Him
Mette Karlsvik	...	Sick Girl / Bikini Girl
Andrew Knowles	...	Green Boy #1
Duncan McHardy	...	Red Hanna
Paul Popplewell	...	Guy with Hat
Mischa Richter	...	Rick, the American Courier
Vito Rocco	...	Swimming Pool Courier
Danny Schofield	...	Dave
Matthew Townend	...	Green Boy #2
Andrew Townley	...	Creeping Jesus
Yolanda Vazquez	...	Spanish Mother
James Wilson	...	Tom Boddington (as Jim Wilson)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
William Hall
Andrew Hazel	...	Dancer in Club (uncredited)

Directed by
Lynne Ramsay

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Liana Dognini		writer
Lynne Ramsay		writer
Alan Warner		novel

Produced by
Leonard Crooks	....	executive producer (as Lenny Crooks)
George Faber	....	producer
Andras Hamori	....	executive producer
Barbara McKissack	....	executive producer
Seaton McLean	....	executive producer
Charles Pattinson	....	producer
Robyn Slovo	....	producer
David M. Thompson	....	executive producer
Ronaldo Vasconcellos	....	line producer

Cinematography by
Alwin H. Kuchler

Film Editing by
Lucia Zucchetti

Casting by
Des Hamilton

Production Design by
Jane Morton

Art Direction by
Philip Barber
James David Goldmark

Costume Design by
Sarah Blenkinsop

Makeup Department
Trefor Proud	....	makeup artist
Tania Wanstall	....	hair stylist
Tania Wanstall	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Alex Sutherland	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Karoline Blohm	....	second assistant director
Michael Elliott	....	assistant director
Mark Fenn	....	assistant director
Ana Gallardo	....	second assistant director: Spain
Rufus Rawley	....	third assistant director
Nic Shearer	....	second assistant director: Spain
Anthony Wilcox	....	third assistant director: Spain

Art Department
Kirsty Anderson	....	art department assistant
Peter Ashwin	....	property master: Spain
Carrie Bond	....	art department assistant
Charles Brooke	....	stand-by props: Spain
Ursula Cleary	....	stand-by art director
Linda Doyle	....	art department assistant
Jim Elliott	....	property master
Richard Gommersall	....	props buyer: Spain
Andrea Matheson	....	assistant art director
Tom McEwen	....	dressing props: UK
Matt Mooney	....	dressing props: UK
Paulo Torres	....	construction manager (as Paulo A. Torres)
Kem White	....	art department assistant
Damien Williams	....	stand-by construction
Rhona Wilson	....	stand-by props: UK

Sound Department
Tim Alban	....	sound re-recording mixer
James Andrews	....	adr editor
James Andrews	....	adr mixer
Owen Bleasdale	....	foley assistant
Paul Davies	....	sound designer
Richard Flynn	....	sound
Robin Green	....	additional boom operator
Alex Hudd	....	sound consultant: dolby
Martin Ireland	....	sound trainee
Melissa Lake	....	foley artist
Andy Moffat	....	boom operator
Gerard Roche	....	adr mixer
Steve Schwalbe	....	dialogue editor
Barnaby Smyth	....	foley editor (as Barnaby Smythe)
Barnaby Smyth	....	foley recordist (as Barnaby Smythe)
Andrew Stirk	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Jason Swanscott	....	foley artist
Stuart Wilson	....	sound recordist: second unit

Visual Effects by
Simon Frame	....	visual effects supervisor
Gruff Owen	....	digital compositor

Stunts
Glenn Marks	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Richard Ackland	....	clapper loader
Nick Barrett	....	camera operator: EPK
David Bourke	....	electrician
Simon Bray	....	Steadicam operator
Lewis Buchan	....	additional focus puller
Gautier Deblonde	....	still photographer
Matthew Dowlar	....	electrician
Robin Earle	....	stand-by rigger
Mark Hutchings	....	rigging gaffer
Clive Johnson	....	electrician
Alison Lai	....	camera trainee
Andy Long	....	gaffer
Andrew Moorhead	....	company grip (as Andy Moorhead)
Ronan Murphy	....	additional grip
Jay Jay Odedra	....	focus puller (as Jay Odedra)
Andy Ormesher	....	stand-by rigger
Tony Sankey	....	key grip
Sky Sharrock	....	additional clapper loader
Jamie Summers	....	electrician
Thomas Townend	....	camera operator
Thomas Townend	....	director of photography: second unit
David Wall	....	electrician

Casting Department
Vanessa Baker	....	adr voice casting
Brendan Donnison	....	adr voice casting
Zeynep Santiroglu	....	casting: Spain

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Vivienne Jones	....	wardrobe supervisor
Penny Keeling	....	wardrobe assistant

Editorial Department
Pani Ahmadi-Moore	....	first assistant editor
Mike Fraser	....	negative cutter
Alec Gibson	....	color grader
Jaimie Perritt	....	editor trainee

Music Department
Maggie Bazin	....	music supervisor
Andrew Cannon	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Carrie Beaumont	....	set runner: Spain
James Biddle	....	production coordinator
Colin Bishop	....	projectionist: Mr. Youngs Preview Theatre
Diane Black	....	production assistant
Ramon Casajust	....	production assistant
Nick Childs	....	production assistant
Maria Del Mar Gutierrez	....	assistant accountant: Spain
Clare Dodin	....	stand-in: Ms. Morton
Steve Emmerson	....	production assistant
John Fass	....	title designer
Juan Fernández	....	location manager: Spain
Mike Fraser	....	rushes transfer
Silvia Gómez	....	assistant coordinator: Spain (as Silvia González)
Silvia Gomes Gonzales	....	assistant coordinator: Spain
Anna Graham	....	assistant accountant
Willow Grylls	....	business affairs: Company Pictures
Mary Haddow	....	script supervisor
Stewart Hamilton	....	production assistant (as Stuart Hamilton)
Ben Hepworth	....	location manager
Shian Holt	....	location trainee: Scotland
Alex Jenkins	....	assistant coordinator: UK
Sarah Louise Kay	....	production accountant
Lacia Kornylo	....	head of production: Alliance Atlantis
Rowena Ladbury	....	additional script supervisor
Christina Lesbirel	....	assistant: Ms. Morton
Christine MacLean	....	production executive: BBC Scotland
Ben Mangham	....	set runner: London
Lorn McDonald	....	set runner: Scotland
Mark McGhee	....	production assistant
Steve McIntyre	....	head of production: Scottish Screen
Charlotte Mickie	....	head of production: Alliance Atlantis
Mark Niemierko	....	assistant coordinator: London
Ann Ramsay	....	assistant: Ms. Ramsay
Andrew Rosen	....	production executive: Alliance Atlantis
Aurelia Thomas	....	assistant location manager
Tam Tolmie	....	production assistant
Estela Torres	....	production assistant
Javi Zapata	....	production assistant
Juan Zegura	....	production assistant

Thanks
James Wilson	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Company Pictures

Distributors

• C-Films (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical) (for)
• Maatschappij voor Cinegrafie (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Artist Films Co. Ltd.
• Cowboy Pictures (USA)
• Emerald (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Eurocine (Argentina)
• Palisades Pictures (2002) (USA) (all media)
• Palm Pictures
• Tohokushinsha Film

Special Effects

• Men From Mars

Other Companies

• ARRI Media  camera equipment
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• General Screen Enterprises  opticals
• McDonald and Rutter  unit publicity
• Mike Fraser  negative cutting
• Mr. Youngs Preview Theatre  dailies
• Offline Editing Co.  post-production facilities
• Offline Editing Company, The  post-production facilities
• Production Copier Company  production equipment and services
• Sapex Scripts  script
• V.F.G.  lighting equipment

MPAA:

Rated R for sexuality, nudity, language and some disturbing images.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Japan:R-15 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Sweden:11 | UK:15 | USA:R | Hong Kong:IIB

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

Company Pictures

Goofs:

Factual errors: You would not get spurting blood when cutting up a body that has been dead for a day.

Quotes:

Lanna: Where are we going?
Morvern Callar: Somewhere beautiful.

Movie Connections:

References Ms. 45 (1981)

Soundtrack:

Fragrance

Generation Existential

I purveyed the comments on IMDB before deciding *first* to read the book and then watch the movie. I think this was the right move, and would strongly advise those so inclined to do the same.

So, Samantha Morton may be the greatest silent film actress of the 21st century. Her muteness in "Sweet and Lowdown" and "Minority Report" and now here speaks volumes. Seriously though she took on an extremely difficult character to portray, one whose impenetrability is at her very essence, Ms. Morton made this character seem real.

Real, albeit alien. But then a degree of alienation I think comes with what I perceive as an existential novel and film. Initially in the book, I felt that Alan Warner, the author, was too removed from his main character...across chasms of gender and age.

But as I read the book, and now watch the film...it seems to me that Morvern is a person removed from herself. Many of us fill up our days, our thoughts and such online sites as this with words.

Words....words...words.

Morvern is almost sub-literate, her interaction with publishers in both book and film is thus comical, in a sort of Chauncey Garner mode of just being there. Morvern's character always lived through her senses more than her mind. As did her best "friend" who ultimately remains the happy hedonist.

But Morvern...like the many insects shown onscreen...moves on, not with any necessary destination...she just moves for the sake of moving. I think that this ultimately is the light this film brings. I can see how others cite grief as the focus; both the suicide that impels our story, and the hotel interlude near its crossing raise the spectre of death around Morvern.

However, I see her as more absent than abjectly anguished in both of those pivotal scenes... This is the conundrum of Morvern Callar for me, while I'm attracted to such an existence, the fact that I consider it...means I'm already living more through mind than senses. If she's remote to herself, than that puts me at an even greater distance. I think this was underscored by the soundtrack switching from sound to softened sound to silence throughout.

One word about the soundtrack, where's the Peter Brotzmann? Now that's a sensory overload that shuts off my mind in favor of the senses. I was hoping more of the bands featured in the book would have made it to the film. I thought that the artists listed in the book, typically the heroes of college DJ's and other overthinkers made a remarkable contrast with Morvern's seeming simplicity.

But there's more to her than meets the eye...and...the ear, the tongue, the nose, the skin...just as there's more to this film than others' comments would indicate.

7*/10

* Again I encourage folks read the book and then enjoy the film as a chaser of sorts to flesh it out.