23 April 2018
First film of choice at The Plaza Dorchester tonight - The Leisure Seeker. Yes, it was a slow film but it totally suited the subject and I feel provides food for thought. Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland seemed an odd couple to put together, but this worked. A very credible southern accent and a non-stop chatter actually endeared me to Helen Mirren's character, she has a lot to put up with but the deep seated love for her husband made her carry on and gave her that strength to provide the support for her confused spouse. Wonderful performances in this tender film about the pressures of ageing with an ailing body or an ailing mind. Donald Sutherland plays John who suffers from memory loss and most the time lives happily in a world of his own. Helen Mirren Is Ella who has a tumour and doesn't want to go to treatment she's been checked before. Unbeknownst to their children they then take off in their ancient Winnebago nicknamed The Leisure Seeker. Following the road south to the Florida Keys, they relive their lives through forgotten memories and new discoveries and both relearn and forget things. Many reviews have not been very good for this film, indeed one particular one stated 'two great actors in dead-end roles. What I feel these people have failed to see that this is a story about how ordinary people deal with extraordinary things going on in their lives, it doesn't matter who the stars are, this can happen to anyone, who of us doesn't know someone suffering with memory loss or terminal diseases. This film had moments of humour especially as we witness confusion experience by John as he repeatedly forgot where he was or who he was with. However, we shouldn't feel guilty about laughing at such moments. Laughter can be a good remedy for the helplessness that must wash over you as you face such situations. A very moving and thought provoking film.
First film of choice at The Plaza Dorchester tonight - The Leisure Seeker. Yes, it was a slow film but it totally suited the subject and I feel provides food for thought. Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland seemed an odd couple to put together, but this worked. A very credible southern accent and a non-stop chatter actually endeared me to Helen Mirren's character, she has a lot to put up with but the deep seated love for her husband made her carry on and gave her that strength to provide the support for her confused spouse. Wonderful performances in this tender film about the pressures of ageing with an ailing body or an ailing mind. Donald Sutherland plays John who suffers from memory loss and most the time lives happily in a world of his own. Helen Mirren Is Ella who has a tumour and doesn't want to go to treatment she's been checked before. Unbeknownst to their children they then take off in their ancient Winnebago nicknamed The Leisure Seeker. Following the road south to the Florida Keys, they relive their lives through forgotten memories and new discoveries and both relearn and forget things. Many reviews have not been very good for this film, indeed one particular one stated 'two great actors in dead-end roles. What I feel these people have failed to see that this is a story about how ordinary people deal with extraordinary things going on in their lives, it doesn't matter who the stars are, this can happen to anyone, who of us doesn't know someone suffering with memory loss or terminal diseases. This film had moments of humour especially as we witness confusion experience by John as he repeatedly forgot where he was or who he was with. However, we shouldn't feel guilty about laughing at such moments. Laughter can be a good remedy for the helplessness that must wash over you as you face such situations. A very moving and thought provoking film.