Goodnight Irene reviews
Review by on 26 Sep 2008
It takes you places during the film and afterwards too.
It takes you places during the film and afterwards too.
Review by on 24 Sep 2008
For me, this beautifully understated and deceptively simple film was the discovery of the Festival - an incredibly assured and affecting feature debut from writer and director Paolo Marinou-Blanco.
Having long been a fan of Welsh actor Robert Pugh, it's a real treat to see him in a lead role as ex-pat Brit Alex, emotionally closed down and marking time in Lisbon - and he delivers an outstanding performance; intense, poignant and frequently very, very funny. Notwithstanding some powerful speeches plundered from a variety of classic plays (Pugh's character Alex was once an actor) Marinou-Blanco is generally sparse with both his own dialogue and his direction, making the most of the silences and never letting anything outstay its welcome.
In the writing, Marinou-Blanco has also achieved something that (apparently) few others can manage: representing two nationalities without either falling back on caricature or cliche. It also carefully avoids becoming a piece that relies on a clash of cultures or stock 'fish out of water' situations. Culture is here shown to be a more subtle, shifting, ungraspable entity than those dramas would suggest - and this is about alienation of a deeper kind.
The photography is stunning, making Lisbon at once beautiful and oppressive, and there are occasional images that, while entirely naturalistic, haunt you like something from a dream (Alex's encounter with a pack of dogs in a town square at night has a particularly weird resonance, like a glimpse of Hades).
Marinou-Blanco has set himself a tough brief here, tackling the Really Big Questions - a challenge that can so often lead to cynicism or pretentiousness (or both). But it's a trap he never falls into, partly because he finds genuine delight in the everyday and the ordinary, but also because he never loses sight of the need for humour (both for the characters and the audience).
A previous reviewer stated she had expected more of a road movie, and so was disappointed that the 'road' section of the film comes so late. But some of the most important journeys take place without going anywhere, and Alex's begins long before he leaves his apartment - a point made more ironic by his dismal job of recording voice-overs for travelogues of places he has never been while shut in a recording booth at home (his 'cell').
A beautiful, fun, yet nonetheless deeply moving film that demonstrates with absolute conviction and clarity that life is more about the search than the finding.
For me, this beautifully understated and deceptively simple film was the discovery of the Festival - an incredibly assured and affecting feature debut from writer and director Paolo Marinou-Blanco.Having long been a fan of Welsh actor Robert Pugh, it's a real treat to see him in a lead role as ex-pat Brit Alex, emotionally closed down and marking time in Lisbon - and he delivers an outstanding performance; intense, poignant and frequently very, very funny. Notwithstanding some powerful speeches plundered from a variety of classic plays (Pugh's character Alex was once an actor) Marinou-Blanco is generally sparse with both his own dialogue and his direction, making the most of the silences and never letting anything outstay its welcome.
In the writing, Marinou-Blanco has also achieved something that (apparently) few others can manage: representing two nationalities without either falling back on caricature or cliche. It also carefully avoids becoming a piece that relies on a clash of cultures or stock 'fish out of water' situations. Culture is here shown to be a more subtle, shifting, ungraspable entity than those dramas would suggest - and this is about alienation of a deeper kind.
The photography is stunning, making Lisbon at once beautiful and oppressive, and there are occasional images that, while entirely naturalistic, haunt you like something from a dream (Alex's encounter with a pack of dogs in a town square at night has a particularly weird resonance, like a glimpse of Hades).
Marinou-Blanco has set himself a tough brief here, tackling the Really Big Questions - a challenge that can so often lead to cynicism or pretentiousness (or both). But it's a trap he never falls into, partly because he finds genuine delight in the everyday and the ordinary, but also because he never loses sight of the need for humour (both for the characters and the audience).
A previous reviewer stated she had expected more of a road movie, and so was disappointed that the 'road' section of the film comes so late. But some of the most important journeys take place without going anywhere, and Alex's begins long before he leaves his apartment - a point made more ironic by his dismal job of recording voice-overs for travelogues of places he has never been while shut in a recording booth at home (his 'cell').
A beautiful, fun, yet nonetheless deeply moving film that demonstrates with absolute conviction and clarity that life is more about the search than the finding.
Review by on 24 Sep 2008
The great actor Robert Pugh is superb as Alex, a curmudgeonly on git who just wants to give life a smack in the mouth before he dies. Now there's a philosophy you can't argue with! An intelligent, witty and moving film written and directed with great skill by Paulo Marinou-Blanco. Highly recommended.
The great actor Robert Pugh is superb as Alex, a curmudgeonly on git who just wants to give life a smack in the mouth before he dies. Now there's a philosophy you can't argue with! An intelligent, witty and moving film written and directed with great skill by Paulo Marinou-Blanco. Highly recommended.
Review by on 23 Sep 2008
really disappointing. My first let-down of the festival. The actors seemed to struggle with the script, especially Robert Pugh - who did a great job otherwise! and I got to shake his hand! The description of the film was misleading - we expected more of the 'road movie' searching for Irene. Maybe the director's dedication to his father was the clue - he changed the focus of the film. Wonderful setttings and light, lovely to see Lisbon.
really disappointing. My first let-down of the festival. The actors seemed to struggle with the script, especially Robert Pugh - who did a great job otherwise! and I got to shake his hand! The description of the film was misleading - we expected more of the 'road movie' searching for Irene. Maybe the director's dedication to his father was the clue - he changed the focus of the film. Wonderful setttings and light, lovely to see Lisbon.
Review by on 20 Sep 2008
Alex, a grumpy old Englishman, has for years shuffled around the streets of Lisbon, muttering bad Portuguese and drinking too much. That is, until he strikes up a friendship with Irene, a new neighbour, while she paints his portrait. She joins him in his wanderings and drinking, but then disappears one day for no apparent reason. With the help of one of her other subjects, a strange boy who breaks into peoples’ homes while they sleep, Alex endeavours to find out what happened to her.
For any film to rely on a total of three characters, and still remain not only engaging, but also emotionally compelling, reflects an ability to create that heart, and magic, that any viewer seeks in a film. The characters are quirky, and real, and so alive that anyone can relate to their situation, and constantly remain watchable throughout an interesting and mysterious story, with crackling dialogue.
With many static shots, which could be used as beautiful stills photography in their own right, the film also emits a classic sense, as if this could be taking place in any time period. Indeed, with universal themes of deep sadness, of age, friendship, and all the while an underlying hope, the simplicity of the filmmaking in this case is fundamental to the storytelling.
Truly one of this year’s treasures at CFF: a film that looks appealing from the outside and then exceeds expectations in its viewing.
Mike Boyd, Festival Daily
Alex, a grumpy old Englishman, has for years shuffled around the streets of Lisbon, muttering bad Portuguese and drinking too much. That is, until he strikes up a friendship with Irene, a new neighbour, while she paints his portrait. She joins him in his wanderings and drinking, but then disappears one day for no apparent reason. With the help of one of her other subjects, a strange boy who breaks into peoples’ homes while they sleep, Alex endeavours to find out what happened to her. For any film to rely on a total of three characters, and still remain not only engaging, but also emotionally compelling, reflects an ability to create that heart, and magic, that any viewer seeks in a film. The characters are quirky, and real, and so alive that anyone can relate to their situation, and constantly remain watchable throughout an interesting and mysterious story, with crackling dialogue.
With many static shots, which could be used as beautiful stills photography in their own right, the film also emits a classic sense, as if this could be taking place in any time period. Indeed, with universal themes of deep sadness, of age, friendship, and all the while an underlying hope, the simplicity of the filmmaking in this case is fundamental to the storytelling.
Truly one of this year’s treasures at CFF: a film that looks appealing from the outside and then exceeds expectations in its viewing.
Mike Boyd, Festival Daily
Film details
Goodnight Irene
NEW FEATURES
Director: Paulo Marinou-Blanco
Actor: Robert Pugh
Actor: Nuno Lopes
Actor: Rita Loureiro
Actor: Robert Pugh
Actor: Nuno Lopes
Actor: Rita Loureiro
Portugal, 2008.
98 mins. Portuguese and English with English subtitles.
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