The film alternates subtly, seamlessly between past and present and constantly uses mirrors to suggest the different meanings of reflection, of seeing things through a glass darkly, of viewing events from different angles.
When Did You Last See Your Father? (2008)
Rated: 12A [See Full Rating] for sexual content, thematic material and brief strong language
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Theatrical Release: 05-10-2007
Synopsis: Celebrated English actors Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth team up for this moving drama about a father and son. Based on Blake Morrison's autobiographical novel, WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? bounces between the 1950s and the 1980s as Blake (Firth, BRIDGET JONES' DIARY) remembers all the... Celebrated English actors Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth team up for this moving drama about a father and son. Based on Blake Morrison's autobiographical novel, WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? bounces between the 1950s and the 1980s as Blake (Firth, BRIDGET JONES' DIARY) remembers all the good and the bad moments in his relationship with his dad as the man is dying of cancer. Oscar-winner Broadbent (IRIS) is Blake's father, Arthur, who seems to charm everyone but his son. He belittles and embarrasses the boy, and Blake's anger is understandable. But as Arthur begins to fade, an adult Blake struggles with his feelings for the man. With WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? director Anand Tucker continues his tradition of creating relationship-based dramas after HILARY AND JACKIE and SHOPGIRL. But while those two films centered on the relationship of sisters or romantic entanglements, this movie focuses on the heartbreaking dynamic between father and son. Broadbent's Arthur says some cringe-inducing things to his son, not the least of which is his frequent use of the name "fathead" in reference to Blake. Between Arthur's cruelty and the pain of watching him die, WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? doesn't always make for easy watching. But Broadbent's talent makes Arthur an ultimately sympathetic character; he is a deeply flawed man who truly loves his son, though he is rarely sure of how to show that feeling. Fans of tearjerkers such as TERMS OF ENDEARMENT and BEACHES will certainly want to have a hankie nearby for this emotional film. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson, Gina McKee, Claire Skinner
Screenwriter: David Nicholls
Producer: Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley
Composer: Barrington Pheloung
Reviews
Watchable drama with superb performances from a strong cast, though it ultimately feels too self-indulgent to be emotionally engaging.
This is one of those commendably well-made and a trifle old-fashioned films which nowadays will probably find as large an audience on television as in the cinema.
A tender and moving Britflick that’s sure to land a couple of Bafta noms next year.
Smoothly interwoven flashbacks dramatise both a relationship and an absence of one – or at least the blanks in one.
It's a great song of innocence and embarrassment, with a lively, gregarious performance at its centre by Jim Broadbent as Arthur and a quieter but no less effective one by debutant Beard.
The film is sweet, simplified and a bit syrupy on the soundtrack.
A decade ago Morrison’s biography explored a grief that, I suspect unwittingly, indeed shockingly, exposed the shallow times. The film doesn’t cut the same mustard.
Director Anand Tucker has moved quickly past the execrable Steve Martin vehicle Shopgirl with a solid, thoughtful, character-driven film.
Anand Tucker has no need of bells and whistles, instead letting Colin Firth, and especially Jim Broadbent, enthral us with wonderfully vivid performances.
It’s certainly a moving film, and many will find its close examination of a father-son relationship particularly cathartic and reflective.
Broadbent is marvellous as the emotional bulldozer while Firth beautifully conveys the concerns of a man terrified that he may be turning into the man he loathed as an adolescent.
Anand Tucker brings Blake Morrison’s autobiographical bestseller to the screen with sensitivity, humour and visual flair.
While it's beautifully shot and acted, the film is also somewhat indulgent and meandering.
Everything in Water Lilies is more guarded, more complex and far more interesting than it seems.
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