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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mel O&#039;Drama" data-source="post: 415250" data-attributes="member: 23">Song For Marion (2012) <img src="https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.averagefilmreviews.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F02%2Fsong-for-marion-poster.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=6e000bc96e955261d12e852e5337bbf38afefea42f097a021917aa864521227f&ipo=images" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /> Another random watch of a film I'd never heard of. Sadly, in summarising the plot, Prime did give away something that would have been better to discover organically (especially since, despite its inevitability, the element in question didn't really take off until the film was over halfway through). In terms of cast members, I immediately saw that Terence Stamp was the lead and that attracted me. Shamefully, I only really know him for two of his roles -  Zod and Bernadette - but they're so unrecognisable from each other that it's clear he's a very versatile and talented actor. His role as Arthur here makes it a hat trick. Arthur is difficult to summarise, but I'd describe him as a combination of Alf Garnett and Colonel Von Trapp: a man who is seen by most - including his own family - as a grumpy old git, whose emotions are hermetically sealed preventing him from getting close to anyone, but whose wife understands him and puts up with his grousing, giving as good as she gets. It's a wonderful performance from Terence, who holds viewer empathy by clearly getting across how trapped he is behind his own walls. In the wrong hands this could have been an unlikeable or even ridiculous character is actually one of tragedy and pain... but played in a way that's not overdone and so palatable and even enjoyable to watch. The trailer began to play (muted) when I hovered over the title whilst deciding whether or not to watch. Then I saw Ann Reid and it became a no-brainer since I've yet to watch a film in which she appears that I don't enjoy. Her role is fairly small here, but certainly memorable. Most of her scenes are with Veronica from Brush Strokes. Better yet, once I began watching, Christopher Eccleston's name appeared, quite high up in the billing. This excited me, since I've watched a number of his films this year - mostly those penned by Jimmy McGovern - which have really opened my eyes to his talent. He does great work here, particularly since the story is less from his point of view and his character spends much of his screen time reacting to others. It goes to show that a good performance can make all the difference. Gemma Aterton was the most underwhelming element for me. It's difficult to pinpoint, but there's something that to me seems a little self-conscious about her performance. Mind you, I had the same feeling the only other time I've seen her, and that was when she was herself on The Graham Norton Show (she was alongside Matthew Perry and Miriam Margolyes when the latter told the story about creaming in her knickers when she met Laurence Olivier). I couldn't say it's a bad performance, but there's nothing about it that makes me think she was the only person who could (or should) have played this role. Vanessa Redgrave was a big surprise for me. I either missed her name in the opening or quickly forgot it as I started seeing other names I recognised. I couldn't place the actress playing the title character and it wasn't until the credits rolled that I realised I'd been watching Vanessa. It's different from the kind of role I usually think of when seeing her name, but then that's why she's an actress. Of course there's the inevitable redemption arc, but it's  beautifully played and written with such humanity it never feels quite as manipulative as it probably is. I'm quite perverse about films toying with my emotions. I know that's one of their basic functions, but I always become irritated if I sense it happening (and yes - I realise this is probably one of a number of reasons why I felt empathy for Arthur) . Old people singing falls into this category, but I found myself defenceless. This film not only got me in the tear ducts, it got me multiple times. Damn it.</blockquote>

Verification: What month follows July?