Review of In America

Introduction

I suppose I ought to start off this emotive review (of a powerful if harrowing movie) by laying my cards on the table. The movie is about a family running away from their collective grief at the loss of a child by setting out for a new life in America with their two daughters, aged 7 and 10. As a child, my family temporarily set out for a new life in America, and my two daughters are currently 8 and 11. These are the only life parallels worthy of note, but it is possible that these had some affect on my objective assessment of this fine movie, which frankly moved me to tears on occasion. It was, quite simply, one of the most singularly powerful films that I have seen in recent years.

Directed by Jim Sheridan, and written by the same with his own two daughters, the film has strands of autobiographical content. It`s almost perfectly cast. Samantha Morton is very moving as the mother - rarely talking, but speaking volumes with her eyes and expression. The two girls are played by Sarah and Emma Bolger, real sisters, who are really quite incredible. Perhaps it`s their performances that make the film so moving as such fine acting is (naturally) very rare in the very young. Paddy Considine (24-Hour Party People) plays the Father entirely convincingly, a complex role. He`s a proud, desperate, frustrated yet determined man who cannot come to terms with the death of his son. Djimon Hounsou, (Gladiator) is well cast as spooky neighbour Mateo who is drawn to the family`s authentic warmth as he tries to come to terms with his terminal illness (Aids). It`s an exceptional, if harrowing movie, and I would recommend that you stop reading this review and purchase or rent a copy immediately without further ado. However, if you`re not convinced by unsubstantiated recommendations alone, then read on.

The movie kicks off with tension at the border, as it seems as if the jobless family might not gain entry. (This same relentless and foreboding tension is present throughout the movie with only the briefest moments of respite). They arrive in Manhattan (with the inspired music choice `Do you believe in magic?` by The Lovin` Spoonful reflecting their initial naïve optimism) but it`s not long before things take a darker twist. They are reduced to accepting an apartment in `the house of the man who screams`, a decaying mansion house in the poor part of town. It`s a dilapidated building occupied by junkies, thieves and madmen. As 10-year-old Christy wryly observes: `They don`t like kids in Manhattan. Why do you think it`s called Man-hattan?`.

The heat of the summer grows to unbearable highs and the walk to the top floor is almost impossible. As the heat rises, so do tempers and tensions. There`s a dark cloud looming. The father fails to get work as an actor and money is tight. He takes on work as a nighttime cab driver whilst his wife works at the local diner in the day. Even a trip to the fair turns bad as a double-or-quits attempt to win an ET doll nearly costs the family their rent money. There`s a quiet desperation in everything they do.

There`s a dark lovemaking scene where the mother can only bear to be with the father as he`s wearing a blind-fold (from a fi-fi-fo-fum game with the children) because his eyes look too much like those of their lost son. It`s a tragic revelation that is almost too painful to watch. When it comes to Halloween, and the girls go trick-or-treating through the apartment block, they persist on knocking on Mateo`s door, a black artist who seems genuinely unhinged. Their innocence, combined with their tale of losing their brother, moves Mateo to tears and he breaks through his self-destructive sorrow to befriend the family.

Their follows a difficult pregnancy and birth, as well as mounting hospital bills. (`Your check bounced …` is the callous greeting of an administrator following the near death of a new baby daughter, as well as the breakdown of a wife),

This is serious stuff, dealing with the very essence of life and death, and there is significant symbolism in the closing chapters - though I don`t want to give the whole plot away here. (Once again the choice of music accompanying the premature birth is inspired: The Byrds `Turn Turn Turn`).

It`s a difficult film, with a world gone wrong magnified through the eyes of two wonderful, unspoilt, innocent girls, though for Christy, we learn that the innocence may have already gone. "Don`t little-girl me. I`ve been carrying this family for years…"

Video

The images are beautifully shot, the Direction masterful. This first class digital transfer is absolutely flawless.

Audio

The Dolby Digital Soundtrack is fine, if a little quiet on occasion. The choice of music and score is inspired - and much of the music has that off-kilter quasi Tom Waits demented fairground feel to it, using unusual combinations of instruments such as Glockenspiel and Oboe; highly inventive!

Features

There`s a wealth of special features here if you want them. The audio - commentary is interesting enough, though as is usual with these, the scene-by-scene dissection does nothing to enhance the impact of the whole. There are also 10 deleted scenes that never made the final cut. These are OK for the completist but if they never made the final cut for artistic reasons then why include them here? This scraping around on the cutting room floor does nothing but appease and justify the over-spend on scenes that were actually superfluous to the final movie. What is worth viewing though is the so-called featurette: `A Personal Journey: The Making Of In America`. This gives insight from Director, writers, cast and crew to the motivation and thinking behind this incredible movie, as well as a visual diary of production.

Conclusion

Whilst this hardly represents mindless diversion, entertainment or feel-good distraction, I recommend that you rent, buy, borrow or steal this dvd post-haste! It`s an incredibly well executed, poignant and thought-provoking movie with a first class cast. The real stars of the show are perhaps the Bolger sisters who`s moving and genuine performances give the film so much of it`s necessary realism. It`s through their eyes that we experience the world in all it`s warped glory - with endless possibilities where there otherwise seems to be none. In general I find myself avoiding such confrontational and difficult movies, though this one really pays dividends. Thoroughly recommended!