by Annette Basile
Worth: $11.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Emilíana Torrini, Caroline Catz, Nick Cave, Richard Ayoade, Angus Sampson
Intro:
... truly original.
Miss Geraldine Flower (played by Caroline Catz in the film) is sitting at a table, smoking a cigarette and says, “In Ankara, I once met a magician …”
It’s an intriguing opening and knowing that this stylish documentary was directed by Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard – the team behind the sublime 20,000 Days on Earth, which centred on Nick Cave – the self-described performance film begins with great promise. But it’s a promise that will be broken well before the halfway mark.
Based on passionate love letters written to Flower, an Australian who lived and worked in London during the Swinging Sixties, the film alternates between her narration, letter readings and music from Icelandic singer/songwriter Emilíana Torrini.
Geraldine’s daughter – Zoe Flower, a film publicist and the doco’s producer – found the stash of letters, along with poems and telexes, in a case hidden under a chest of drawers after her mother died five years ago aged 72. The letters were from a string of smitten men who fell under Miss Flower’s spell.
Zoe showed the letters to her friend, Icelandic singer/songwriter Emilíana Torrini, who was inspired to create an album, and the contents of this album feature heavily here, often accompanied by dancers.
This UK production has the sense of a filmed stage performance – and it’s visually appealing. But how you feel about this doco will depend on your response to its music – the gentle, almost ambient pop, breathily half-spoken/half sung by Torrini.
The lyrics are put in context with the individual letters that inspired each of the songs, but the music is a little monotonous, more suited to background sounds in a dimly lit cafe than something so central to a feature film. Torrini is a decent performer but she’s no Nick Cave.
Cave appears here as one of Flower’s admirers and his brief letter-reading appearance is as passionate as the letter that he reads. Other readers include Richard Ayoade and Angus Sampson. Elsewhere Torrini – who knew Flower in real life – appears interacting with her.
There were rumours that Flower – a journalist of sorts – was a spy, as was one of her lovers, but this most interesting aspect is glossed over. More details about Miss Flower and less music would have made for a stronger film. It’s style over substance yet deserves kudos for delivering something that’s truly original.
