"UNFINISHED SONG" - A New Film Report
A Great Combination! This particular film is so worthy in the way it presents not only a moving script written by Paul Andrew Williams but key roles which are notably filled by a couple of the most seasoned movie stars around-namely Terrence Stamp and Vanessa Redgrave-plus a wonderfully youthful actress, Gemma Atherton.
She plays the therapeutic instructor for a group of senior folks at a day "camp"-- where she spends most of her time encouraging them to prepare for singing contests.
Vanessa Keeps Loving! One of her senior folks-- suffering from advanced stages of the terminal kind-- is Vanessa Redgrave-who plays a survivor, making supreme efforts to be part of the singing group.
The problem lies with her curmudgeonly husband, Terrence Stamp.
When somebody asks him with quaint naivete: Why in the world he seems to be not enjoying himself in their activities, he glumly states, "You know how I feel about enjoying things.
" So here he is: So morose with all-- while his sick wife keeps smiling and telling him how much she loves him.
He is a spoiled kid in man-form.
How Fate Can Be Handled! But it is the pace of "UNFINISHED SONG" and the absolutely wonderful way that he becomes resigned to what fate's assigned him, which enables the film to go from a ho-hum plot line to something that really engenders a great growth pattern.
Stamp Lifts This Film High Up! To spice up the plot and show more negative traits, this guy has a son as well as a granddaughter; and his relationship with them drops to new lows...
but then rises to an almost heartfelt genuine rapprochement.
There is nothing phony about all this development.
You really believe that Terrence Stamp is whom he's acting.
He's such an accomplished actor with years of strong experience: he carries the film to a level where few actors could lift it.
Life Fails From Poor Judgment! One sudden shock in this movie comes when the young teacher arrives at his doorstep one night-distraught with the breakup of romance she was in the midst of with some guy.
Before, we had seen her pretty impressive in her zest to help seniors enjoy the time she worked with their singing.
This energetic star has now been reduced to a sobbing girl, jilted by her lover; and she comes to this man as if he is the only one on earth she can share her misery with.
And he, now in a role as a father figure, consoles her with some true advice.
This seems to be the point where he and she become partners- both puzzled with the way life fails from poor judgment.
But out of this moment, we see him do congenial acts for others as well.
Don't Miss Seeing This Film! "UNFINISHED SONG" needs to be seen for the inspiration which comes from watching a man overtake his own shadow and begin embarking on a fresh way of life.
I'm inclined to rank it almost as high as I've ever ranked a film-and that's NINE.
I promise: You'll both laugh and cry.
She plays the therapeutic instructor for a group of senior folks at a day "camp"-- where she spends most of her time encouraging them to prepare for singing contests.
Vanessa Keeps Loving! One of her senior folks-- suffering from advanced stages of the terminal kind-- is Vanessa Redgrave-who plays a survivor, making supreme efforts to be part of the singing group.
The problem lies with her curmudgeonly husband, Terrence Stamp.
When somebody asks him with quaint naivete: Why in the world he seems to be not enjoying himself in their activities, he glumly states, "You know how I feel about enjoying things.
" So here he is: So morose with all-- while his sick wife keeps smiling and telling him how much she loves him.
He is a spoiled kid in man-form.
How Fate Can Be Handled! But it is the pace of "UNFINISHED SONG" and the absolutely wonderful way that he becomes resigned to what fate's assigned him, which enables the film to go from a ho-hum plot line to something that really engenders a great growth pattern.
Stamp Lifts This Film High Up! To spice up the plot and show more negative traits, this guy has a son as well as a granddaughter; and his relationship with them drops to new lows...
but then rises to an almost heartfelt genuine rapprochement.
There is nothing phony about all this development.
You really believe that Terrence Stamp is whom he's acting.
He's such an accomplished actor with years of strong experience: he carries the film to a level where few actors could lift it.
Life Fails From Poor Judgment! One sudden shock in this movie comes when the young teacher arrives at his doorstep one night-distraught with the breakup of romance she was in the midst of with some guy.
Before, we had seen her pretty impressive in her zest to help seniors enjoy the time she worked with their singing.
This energetic star has now been reduced to a sobbing girl, jilted by her lover; and she comes to this man as if he is the only one on earth she can share her misery with.
And he, now in a role as a father figure, consoles her with some true advice.
This seems to be the point where he and she become partners- both puzzled with the way life fails from poor judgment.
But out of this moment, we see him do congenial acts for others as well.
Don't Miss Seeing This Film! "UNFINISHED SONG" needs to be seen for the inspiration which comes from watching a man overtake his own shadow and begin embarking on a fresh way of life.
I'm inclined to rank it almost as high as I've ever ranked a film-and that's NINE.
I promise: You'll both laugh and cry.