The incandescent Vanessa Redgrave is the focus of this very theatrical drama that takes a suicide for her characters and others involved in the present to take a look at the disappointments of their lives and question their interactions with everybody they've ever crossed paths with. The sudden suicide of the young Tim McInnerny, an invited guest whose presence at a dinner party hosted by Redgrave had not been questioned. Long time friend Judi Dench and husband Ian Holm mistakenly thought he was invited by Redgrave and vice versa.
The presence of his old girlfriend Suzanna Hamilton creates more issues for the mixed up Redgrave who tries to deal with the angry Hamilton with compassion but gets continuously frustrated. Flashbacks of Hamilton and McInnerny together, along with more flashbacks of Redgrave and Dench's characters when they were young add further difficulty to the narrative.
This is a very verbal drama that is at its best when it shows Redgrave in the present day dealing with the world she's already known, her friends and her position as a college literature professor. Redgrave has a wonderful way of interacting with her students, and the college production of "A Man For All Seasons" (presuming it was that play) gives a political background to discussions of real life current figures including Thatcher and Nixon, adding yet another subplot. Overall I was very frustrated with this, finding it easy to lose focus, and I presume one must be of an advanced literary mind to really appreciate it. Great to see Redgrave and Dench together though, so there's that.
The presence of his old girlfriend Suzanna Hamilton creates more issues for the mixed up Redgrave who tries to deal with the angry Hamilton with compassion but gets continuously frustrated. Flashbacks of Hamilton and McInnerny together, along with more flashbacks of Redgrave and Dench's characters when they were young add further difficulty to the narrative.
This is a very verbal drama that is at its best when it shows Redgrave in the present day dealing with the world she's already known, her friends and her position as a college literature professor. Redgrave has a wonderful way of interacting with her students, and the college production of "A Man For All Seasons" (presuming it was that play) gives a political background to discussions of real life current figures including Thatcher and Nixon, adding yet another subplot. Overall I was very frustrated with this, finding it easy to lose focus, and I presume one must be of an advanced literary mind to really appreciate it. Great to see Redgrave and Dench together though, so there's that.