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Sally Hawkins

Spencer: Freeing the Ghosts of Camelot

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Christmas with the family can be a challenge for anyone. However, in Pablo Larrain’s Spencer, it becomes an absolute nightmare.

Set during the three days surrounding Christmas, Spencer focuses on the emotional journey of Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) as she struggles to survive her holidays with the Royal Family. With her marriage crumbling and knowledge of Charle’s affair with Camilla now public knowledge, Diana arrives at Sandringham emotionally exhausted and looking forward to time with her sons. However, as she is forced to endure soul-draining traditions that leave her empty, she continues waste away internally. Broken and weary, Diana begins to rebel against the decorum that she has come to despite, raising the ire of a new employee (Timothy Spall) who has been hired to keep her under his strict watchful eye.

In Spencer, director Pablo Larrain weaves a tale that feels more like gothic horror than it does a tale of royalty. As his follow-up to the superb character drama Jackie, this film takes a more thematic approach to its narrative than it does factual recreation of events. In other words, rather than tell a traditional biographical story, Larrain blends both whimsical elements and factual events into a mixture entirely his own. (For instance, the opening text informs the audience that this is a ‘fairy tale based on actual trauma’.) In doing so, he is able to create his own reality that also still feels true to Diana’s emotional stress over her last few years in the Royal Family. 

Of course, anchoring the film’s success is a truly remarkable performance by its star. Kristen Stewart has always excelled when she plays characters who are struggling to cope. Even so, to play Diana requires so much more of her. As one of the most identifiable and beloved characters of the 20th Century, the role of the Princess of Wales would pose an incredible challenge to any actress. However, Stewart provides a memorable performance as the People’s Princess that feels authentic to the icon. As Diana, she does an excellent job recreating the mannerisms and voice that made her recognizable around the world. Yet, she also fuels her performance with a sadness and confined rage that takes the focus off of the glamour and reveals the pain of her soul. (However, it’s also worth noting that the moments that are most memorable come when she’s allowed to laugh and have some fun. These brief glimpses of joy are the moments that truly allow Stewart to sparkle onscreen.)

Opening with a shot of a bird being rolled over by military convoy, Spencer is another tale that takes place in the middle of the life of a fallen hero. Taking place over three days over Christmas, Larrain structures the film around a time for family and celebration, yet this is hardly a time for levity. At every turn, this is a reminder of how this beautiful bird was trampled under the weight of tradition and masculine pressure. When she arrives at Sandringham, she is ordered that she must weigh herself before the weekend to be able to measure how much enjoyment was taken from the meals. She is told that she is viewed as ‘currency to be traded’ and that that is where her value lies. Then, when she finally confronts Charles, she is refuted, being told that she needed to be two people. Very much the victim of systemic abuse and control from the powers that be, Diana is forced into an emotional box by Royal traditions and etiquette. (“It’s just a bit of fun after all,” she is repeatedly reminded.) As a result, she struggles to cope with the unreasonable expectations placed upon her that steal pieces of her soul and quietly descends into her own madness. (Incidentally, while the film maintains a slow pace throughout its runtime, this is undoubtedly intentional. Like the ticking of the clock, Larrain wants the viewer to experience time as Diana does while she endures the horrors of the holiday.)

In order to further exemplify this, Larrain visually leans into the mystique of the Monarchy while also heavily accentuating its darker edges. While there are those who would view the hallowed halls of Sandringham Estate as a modern-day Camelot filled with royal servants and quaint traditions, Spencer takes a decidedly different view. Instead of emphasizing Elizabethan charm and mystique, Lorraine imbues the country house with an ominous sense of oppression and dread. Despite its size and grandeur, Lorraine makes the buildings feel claustrophobic. Patterns on the wall feel like prison bars. Morning fog creates an atmosphere of captivity rather than captivation. No matter the time of day, the manor appears suffocating.

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As these traumas unravel, Diana is shown to be a woman who is being haunted by ghosts, both figuratively and literally. Plagued by appearances by Anne Bolin, she is reminded of the toxic nature of her relationship with her husband. Stuck in a dead relationship, Diana aches for the simple life and wishes to be the person that she was 10 years ago when this all began. She yearns to find the joy that she wants held that has been stripped of her and wants to protect her children in the same way. However, despite being held under the watchful eye of the Monarchy, Diana gradually begins to kick against the culture of repression. Pressured by the power of the monarchy to conform, Diana’s inner strength begins to bubble to the surface and she begins to take matters into her own hands. (Never has drapery taken on such significance within a film.) For Diana, pleasing the system that surrounds her is not as important as the health of her soul and so she looks for opportunities to give herself space to breathe again.

In the end, Spencer is a unique look at toxic oppression and its relationship to the soul. While this fable may not be based on actual events, Larrain’s film still feels like an authentic representation of reality. With elegance and patience, he constructs thoughtful piece that gives voice to a young woman who had hers taken from her by a system designed to maintain the image of perfection. While others may view it as ‘little bit of fun’, Larrain shows that, in the case of Diana, it’s no laughing matter.

Spencer is available in theatres on Friday, November 5th, 2021.

TIFF ’21: Spencer

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Set during the three days surrounding Christmas, Spencer focuses on the emotional journey of Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) as she struggles to survive her holidays with the Royal Family. With her marriage crumbling and knowledge of Charle’s affair with Camilla now public knowledge, Diana arrives at Sandringham emotionally exhausted and looking forward to time with her sons. However, as she is forced to endure soul-draining traditions that leave her empty, she continues waste away internally. Broken and weary, Diana begins to rebel against the decorum that she has come to despite, raising the ire of a new employee (Timothy Spall) who has been hired to keep her under his strict watchful eye.

In Spencer, director Pablo Larrain weaves a tale that feels more like gothic horror than it does a tale of royalty. As his follow-up to the superb character drama Jackie, this film takes a more thematic approach to its narrative than it does factual recreation of events. In doing so, he is able to create his own reality that also still feels true to Diana’s emotional stress over her last few years in the Royal Family. 

While there are those who would view the hallowed halls of Sandringham Estate as a modern-day Camelot filled with royal servants and quaint traditions, Spencer takes a decidedly different view. Instead of emphasizing Elizabethan charm and mystique, Lorraine imbues the country house with an ominous sense of oppression and dread. 

As her traumas unravel, Diana is shown to be a woman who is being haunted by ghosts, both figuratively and literally. Pressured to conform by the power of the monarchy, Diana’s inner strength begins to bubble to the surface and she begins to take matters into her own hands. For her, pleasing the system that surrounds her is not as important as the health of her soul and so she looks for opportunities to give herself space to breathe again.

Spencer premiered at TIFF ’21 on Wednesday, September 15th, 2021.

The Heart of Paddington: 1on1 with Simon Farnaby

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Written by Paul King and Simon Farnaby, Paddington 2 sees the return of everyone’s favourite bear as he settles into life with the Brown family in London. However, when a misunderstanding leads to Paddington’s arrest, he and the Browns set out to clear his name and prove his innocence.

After being offered the opportunity to develop the story with his good friend, Paul King, Farnaby was eager to participate. In fact, he feels that the two were a good match, given that they share many of the same ideas of how to construct a story.

“I’ve known Paul King for about 20 years… so we go way back…,” Farnaby states. “[He] wrote [the first one] but I helped out with some jokes, especially with my scene as Barry, the Security Guard… So then, on [the second film], Paul just asked if I’d like to write it with him. We’re friends, and I had a handle on the world. We have the same sort of sensibility of humour [by adding] a lot of warmth and a lot of heart in the story we want to tell. So, we were a good fit. Thankfully David Heyman (the producer),… allowed me to work with Paul. He trusted Paul’s instincts that we could do something special together and it looks like it’s doing okay.”

Created by author Michael Bond, the stories of Paddington Bear have continued to charm readers for decades. When asked why he thinks the books have maintained their importance, Farnaby states that he thinks it has to do with Paddington’s relatability and positive attitude.

“I think everyone sort of sees a little bit of themselves within Paddington. We’re all sort of fish out of water,” he reflects. “I remember starting school and feeling like I didn’t quite fit in. You know, I was always kind of making mistakes. Nobody likes to admit that. We’re all sort of trying to find our feet in the world. When I read Paddington, I found that he made mistakes like I did. Then, he kept trying and kept positive. No matter what kind of mistakes he made, whether it was knocking the house down or trying to bake a cake and setting the kitchen on fire, he never took it too badly. He always sort of brushed himself off and went on to the next thing. So, I think it’s that sort of mixture of comedy and his sort of haplessness and clumsiness but also there’s a sort of great warmth in his character that endears him to people.”

Although Farnaby never actually had the opportunity to connect with Bond before his death last summer, both he and King felt a deep responsibility that the film should live up to the quality of his legacy.

“Paul actually had a relationship with him from the first film and he was the one to go to see him,” he clarifies. “It was very important to Paul and myself that Michael Bond approved of what we were doing with his bear. Paul would go to see him and talk him through what we had in mind. Michael always read the scripts and read the drafts of Paddington 2. I think he saw some bits of it before he died and he was very happy with it. His daughter, Karen, carries the mantle and she saw Paddington 2, loved it and said her dad would have approved. That’s hugely important to us. He’s obviously a very important figure, not only in the books but we’re always aware of him and needing his approval. It’s a great shame that he couldn’t see it through to this one.”

When writing a sequel, the temptation is to always enlarge the scope of the original film. While Paddington 2 may contain more characters and a broader story, Farnaby believes that the heart of the film is very much in keeping with Paddington’s heart and legacy.

“From our earliest discussions as we started to write the story, we both liked the idea of meeting the neighbours in the street,” he begins. “We had an idea in the very beginning that it would be nice to have a sequence where we see what his life is like in London now. The last film was about him finding a family and a home but what is a home? A home is in a place and a community. Paddington would be a great community figure. He’d always be the neighbour who would help you out if you needed anything. His instinct is kindness, you know. He’d be very popular with his neighbours.”

“So, really, this film is about him finding a community in London. We really liked the idea of meeting his neighbours and then Phoenix Buchanan, a sort of celebrity in this neighbourhood. Paddington always does well up against celebrities because he sees everyone as the same, whether they’re a celebrity or a homeless guy. So, we had this really great idea for an opening and then, when we saw the prison, he gets into trouble even though he’s innocent but then he’s meeting even more people. It’s a new community of people, even though they’re criminals. We also thought that was sort of interesting comedicly as well as philosophically for him to come up with those sorts of people. But it’s really about him finding his place in the world and meeting more people. There’s a lot more characters in this film.”

What’s more, Farnaby also argues that his career as an actor has been an incredible blessing to his ability to write screenplays. With his experience in front of the camera, he feels strongly that his acting career has also allowed him to develop characters according to the strengths and needs of his cast.

“I think it helps hugely. Because I am an actor, I know how actors respond to parts when they get sent,” Farnaby replies. “When we were trying to get Hugh Grant to play Phoenix, I was constantly thinking that I know what he’s going to be thinking. I know what he’s going to respond to as an actor because very often actors, when they commit to a screenplay, they’re really not that interested in the whole story. They’re interested in the part they’re going to play. Whether you like it or not, an actor is really thinking ‘Am I going to score in this part?’ Really that’s how an actor thinks. They’re gonna put themselves up on screen so they want to know if they’re going to have fun or are people going to think they’re great in it. You’re always looking for that part that’s going to show off your talents very well. Being an actor, it helps because you want to make every single part juicy. You can’t send anything out that’s half-assed or that anyone can play. It needs to be something where they say ‘I know why they picked me for this part. It’s because I’m good at this…’ Even the tiny parts… so pandering to an actor’s ego, that should be good to for the script.”

In the end, as families leave the theatre after seeing the film, he hopes that they may begin to see the world a little bit more through the innocent eyes of Paddington himself.

Says Farnaby, “We started thinking about Paddington and his values, given to him by Aunt Lucy. Things like being polite and if you look for the good in others, you’ll find it. We really wanted to make a film that said that really is the best way. Paddington gets into trusted and his values are tested. In the long run, if you have those values of kindness and courtesy instead of always looking for the bad in people and the worst in people, if you assume the best in people and look for the good in them, eventually that will prove to make the community and the world a better place. What do we value in society? We have Phoenix Buchanan who’s this big celebrity but he never does anything for himself. People sort of love him. He’s sort of idolized. And then there’s Paddington who comes along and he’s kind so maybe we value the wrong people in society.”

 

Paddington 2 is in theatres now.

Paddington 2: Lessons From A Bear

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We all know life can be difficult and challenging—sometimes before 8:30 in the morning. Drivers treat the commute like a game of Pole Position. Co-workers spray mean-spirited comments around the office like they’re watering a garden.  Social media serves as a hub for negativity to fester among friends both real and virtual.  Hectic schedules cause unrelenting stress. Homework is a horror for kids and a never-ending nightmare for adults. And then there’s the news . . .

Though life does not consist solely of de-thorned roses, we can still make the most of whatever situation we find ourselves in. That is one of the main messages of Paddington 2, the latest movie by Studio Canal and director Paul King. Following on the footsteps of the highly successful first film, the second iteration continues the adventures of the charming bear with the red hat and bright blue peacoat. Touching in some areas, laugh-out loud funny in others, it’s an irresistibly charming addition to the series.

Paddington (voiced by Ben Whishaw) has settled down with the Brown family in Windsor Gardens but wants to get Aunt Lucy a present for her 100th birthday. Passing by an antique shop one day, he spots a pop-up book of London that would be perfect. However, the book is quite expensive so he decides to get a job to pay for it.  His role as a barber doesn’t quite go as intended, so he reverts to a window washer—a task he’s uniquely made for.  Before he can get his paws on the book though, it’s stolen by a burglar. Paddington sees the break-in and attempts to catch the culprit, only to be arrested erroneously by the police and sentenced to twelve years in prison.

Life in jail is quite different for Paddington, but the bear, with his usual hopefulness and positivity taught to him by his Aunt Lucy, attempts to make the most of his situation.  However, Paddington learns a lesson anyone who’s ever washed clothes will attest to: a red sock in a bunch of white prison outfits equals a bunch of unhappy prisoners.  Maybe he can make it up to everyone by getting Knuckles the cook (Brendan Gleeson) to serve something remotely appetizing . . .

Meanwhile, the Browns realize Paddington is innocent and start an investigation into who stole the pop-up book.  They put up flyers, snoop around houses, and scour the community for clues while doing their best to let Paddington know.  When they forget to show up one day, Paddington begins to think they’ve moved on without him.

But there is a break in the case when Mrs. Brown discovers the culprit is a neighbor and former actor—Phoenix Buchanan (Hugh Grant).  But why does he want the pop-up book?  Is there something special about it?  Will Paddington serve the entire prison sentence, or will his motto of “If we’re kind and polite, the world will be right” live up to its billing?  It’s worth finding out.

As in the first film, the acting is top notch, with Grant enjoyably smarmy yet flamboyant as the former actor turned thief.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown (Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins) provide just the right amount of levity in a family where everyone has big ambitions (it’s ironic that Hawkins, recently honored with a Golden Globe nomination for the film The Shape of Water, plays a character whose goal is to swim the English Channel). Of course, Paddington is just as you’d expect—a lovable bear who sometimes makes mistakes but always follows the mantra of his Aunt Lucy: “If you look for the good in people, you’ll find it.” To that end, he’s the hero we need right now.

What do we do when times get tough?  Do we run away or are we brave, jumping headlong into the fray?  I think about Joshua in the Old Testament as he prepared to lead an entire nation into a new land—one they were promised by God.  It must have felt like a daunting task he was incapable of accomplishing—after all, he was a slave while in Egypt. God gave Joshua a healthy shot of courage when he told him to “be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NLT). He took that advice, just like Paddington did with Aunt Lucy’s words, and moved forward to make things better for others.

What can happen in our world if we just attempt to look for the best in others and simply be nice?  Perhaps we should strive to find out.  I think Paddington and Aunt Lucy would agree.

The Shape of Water – Fable with Biblical Commentary

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“Decency is an export. We sell it because we don’t use it.”

Guillermo del Toro’s films are sometimes referred to as fairy tales, fables, or parables, but always much darker than we usually think of such things. Those characterizations are not just because of fantastic, mythical beings in the stories. It is also because these stories have a strong moral center that uses a fantasy world to challenge our understanding of our own world. All this is true of his newest film, The Shape of Water.

Sally Hawkins in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo by Kerry Hayes. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

The film is set in the Cold War, a time that some saw as a great battle of good versus evil. (Of course, which side you were on would affect which side you viewed as good.) In a secret government facility, Elisa (Sally Hawkins), a mute janitor, discovers a strange creature (Doug Jones) being held captive. It is amphibian and resembles the Creature from the Black Lagoon. The creature is being held there by Richard Strickland (Michael Shannon), who brought the creature back from the Amazon because it might hold secrets to give the US an advantage over the Soviets in the space race. In time, Elisa secretly forms a relationship with the creature and enlists the help of a co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) and neighbor Giles (Richard Jenkins) to free the creature from the lab to save its life.

Because of the setting, the film allows reflection on those “good old days” and how they may fall short of our golden memories of them. There are clear distinctions between classes, races, and men and women. But the story revolves around the differences between the marginalized and the entitled.

Michael Shannon in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo by Kerry Hayes. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

Del Toro employs an interesting device to illuminate the issues: biblical stories. Strickland has a worldview that is informed by a particular understanding of scripture. That understanding revolves around power. He believes he can treat the creature as he does because humans are created in God’s image—and he sees himself more in God’s image than other people. When he learns Zelda’s middle name is Delilah, he brings up the story of Samson, which he also reads as a story about power and being the conduit of that power. As we watch we see that even though he knows scripture, he has a distorted view of its meaning.

But the key biblical story alluded to in the film is Ruth. Del Toro doesn’t tell us the story (as with Samson). He just gives us an allusion to the story and lets us find how to use that tool to read the film. Elisa lives above a movie theater that is currently showing The Story of Ruth. That biblical account is also about the marginalized. Ruth was a foreign widow (two forms of marginalization). Elisa has been abused as a child and is now mute. The creature is a prisoner and totally out of his element.

Doug Jones and Sally Hawkins in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

In the story of Ruth, Ruth is rescued from her dire situation through finding a relationship with Boaz, a distant well-to-do relative. There is a bit of seduction in Ruth’s story, and in this one as well. But as l look at this story through the lens of the book of Ruth, I’m not sure which character is in the role of Ruth and which is in the role of Boaz. Certainly, Elisa rescues the creature from his imprisonment, but he also rescues her from her loneliness and pain. I have come to the conclusion that they each serve as Boaz to the other. They both bring a kind of salvation that give life to each other through their love.

It is good to remember that the biblical account of Ruth arose during a time of marginalizing those whose Jewish lineage was in question (even though the story is set much earlier). As we look at today’s world, we see many who are on the margins of society because of poverty, race, immigration status, sexual identity, and many other reasons. The Shape of Water provides a fable that calls us to act with decency (something that the powerful in this story see as unimportant) towards those around us. Today’s world still needs to live out that story of Boaz and Ruth.

Sally Hawkins and Octavia Spencer in the film THE SHAPE OF WATER. Photo Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures. © 2017 Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation All Rights Reserved

4.07 Diving into THE SHAPE OF WATER

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Guillermo Del Toro’s latest creation is garnering awards momentum with each passing week. While a romance film between woman and fish-man seems… unexpected… on paper, it carries a poignant message that seems timely and relevant. But why? This week, returnees Ben Dower and Andrew Eaton speak with Steve on the nature of love and repeating history.

Want to continue to conversation at home?  Click the link below to download ‘Fishing for More’ — some small group questions for you to bring to those in your area.

4.07 The Shape of Water

A special thanks to Ben and Andrew for joining us!

 

For those of you in Canada who are interested, you can donate to ScreenFish by clicking the link below and simply selecting ‘ScreenFish’ from the ‘Apply Your Donation…’ area. 

https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/connect-city/

 

Maudie – Validation of a Life

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“The whole of life, already framed, right there.”

It’s hard to assign Maudie to any one genre. Certainly it qualifies as biography. But it is also a bit of art history. It’s an inspirational story of finding success and happiness against terrible odds. And at its heart it is a love story—but not the kind of love story that usually is made into movies.

This is the story of Canadian primitivist artist Maud Dowley Lewis (Sally Hawkins). Suffering from severe arthritis since childhood, she is cared for by her overprotective and judgmental aunt. When mercurial fish peddler Everett Lewis (Ethan Hawke) seeks to hire a woman to clean his house and cook his meals, Maud sees it as a chance to escape. Everett lives an almost hermit-like existence. He had learned to be self-reliant to a fault. He lives in a 10’x12’ house without water or electricity. When Maude moves in to such close quarters, it is hard for both of them to adjust. Everett is demanding and at times violent. He is taciturn, while Maud is opinionated and talkative.  Early on he treats her as a lower life form (even the chickens outrank her), but she soon finds an important place in his life.

As an outlet, Maud begins painting pictures of birds and flowers on the walls—and soon the door and the windows. She paints on scraps of wood and paper. A woman from New York wants to buy some pictures, and soon Maud has a roadside business. While this enhances their finances, in many ways it rubs Everett the wrong way. It is a constant struggle to balance these two very independent souls whose lives have become intertwined and who find a love that many may find a bit cold, but there is a passion there.

The film’s greatest strength is the pair of performances by the lead actors. Even when there is little dialogue, their screen presence carries us through the story and the moods that are such a part of the film.

The film often makes use of windows—looking in or out through windows, conversations through windows, windows that might be so dirty we can barely see. For Maud, her art was the window through which she viewed the world. Her paintings are vibrant and happy—far happier than we might expect from someone who suffered so much both physically and emotionally. It is through the window of her art that Maud found happiness and validation.

The concept of validation is a key. How frequently we use the word invalid for someone with a physical or emotional problem. And how close we may come to thinking of such a person as not valid because of their affliction. That is certainly how Maud’s family treated her. She was deemed unimportant and a burden. Early in her relationship with Everett, he thought her incapable of doing what needed to be done. Yet when others began to see beauty in the pictures that she created, it was obvious that she mattered. It was not just that she was earning money. It was that she did something that brought joy to herself and others.

Maudie reminds us of the intrinsic value each person has. To treat them otherwise means we could well miss the gifts they offer to us.

Photos courtesy of Sony Pictures Classics