"It's not naked, it's nude..." (Calendar Girls (DVD))

Name: ruth_cole

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Product:	Calendar Girls (DVD)
Date:	24/09/04 (3629 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: smart, sweet

Disadvantages: slightly unbalanced third act

Way back when UIP.com put me in the way of two free tickets to a mystery preview and I jumped at the thought of a free film in a cinema that might cost upwards of £8. There was some trepidation (would it be some reportedly godawful pap like Gigli?), but off I went, and I was rewarded with this gentle, funny, moving little tale.


Chris Harper HELEN MIRREN
Annie Clarke JULIE WALTERS
Jesse ANNETTE CROSBIE
Celia CELIA IMRIE
Ruth PENELOPE WILTON
Rod Harper CIARAN HINDS
John Clarke JOHN ALDERTON

Directed by NIGEL COLE (Saving Grace)
Written by TIM FIRTH and JULIETTE TOWHIDI
Original music by PATRICK DOYLE



I'm 55 years old... If I don't get them out now, when will I?

Based on the true story of the Knapley, Yorkshire Women’s Institute, a club composed mainly of the over-50s, Calendar Girls is primarily the story of Chris Harper and Annie Clarke. Bored of endless dull lectures, and more interested in Tai Chi than milk marketing and broccoli, as shown in the opening segments, they long to really do something new, and the utterly unexpected impetus is, unfortunately, a terrible personal tragedy. Annie‘s husband John, a keen gardener, dies of leukaemia, and the cold discomfort of the relative’s room in their darkest hours spurs them to use the annual WI calendar to raise money for the hospital. Knowing the usual bridges and landscapes combination brings in little cash and spotting a birds-and-boobs type calendar in the local mechanic’s, Chris hits on the brainwave of posing for a very special calendar…

Say what you like, you’re looking at Miss January.

What follows is a charming story of love, grief, friendship, fame and human nature, as Chris and Annie battle the more staunchly conservative members of the WI, and the attitudes of their friends and neighbours to be taken seriously. Finding a photographer, dealing with Chris’ son Jem as he struggles with his seemingly breast-obsessed mum, learning to court and cope with massive press intrusion and keeping their eyes on the common goal are all aspects of the journey. The pressures for each woman are different: for some it’s reacquainting themselves with who they are, for others it’s coming out of a shell, for Chris it’s learning to feel like a success for the first time without alienating her loved ones, and for Annie it’s coping with her grief when it feels like no-one really understands. The success of the calendar brings more than just money, it brings with it hope and laughter to so many bereaved in similar ways, and that can be more important than anything else. Meanwhile, the film is extremely warm and funny, producing mostly gentle chuckles, but one or two belly laughs alongside the odd teary eye. But it is not mawkishly sentimental, there is always a joke to lighten the mood, and the cast, a list ever-impressive and long-familiar, is nigh on pitch perfect.

Right. Can anyone see my nipples?

Helen Mirren is always an extraordinary force on screen. Rarely likeable (and no more so here all the time, to be honest), she’s the feisty, irreverent heart of the operation, offset by Julie Walter’s beautifully restrained grieving widow. The patterns and tensions of the friendship are sharply observed with realism and intelligence. There are plenty of stereotypes here, from the frightened housewife rediscovering her life and her sexuality, to the seemingly upper-class snob who insists on showing off her ample assets, to the eldest of the group, who is naturally the least inhibited. But I think this accurately reflects human nature. The thing that makes people special is that we are both individuals, with a capacity to surprise and inspire, but we are also humans, with universally recognisable common traits. Stereotypes are only a bad thing if acted badly or scripted in a stilted, inhuman fashion. These are real women, as far as I can tell, and more importantly, real men... In a “chick flick”, it’s easy to make the male characters two-dimensional window dressing, but Ciaran Hinds is sweet, overwhelmed photographer Lawrence (PHILIP GLENISTER) has lovely comic timing, and best of all is the fantastic John Alderton. In just the first twenty minutes he has lived, got sick and died… but in just those few short scenes he depicts both the catastrophe and humanity of a degenerative illness- the slowness of speech and action along with the continuing sharpness of intelligence, wit and spirit. Anyone who has, as I have, watched someone suffer through cancer or something like it, or who is able to have empathy with the situation, will be touched.

DON'T TOUCH THE BUNS…. please.

The photography, direction and score all add to the lilting gentleness of the pervading mood. This is a tinkling, happy Yorkshire, where it never rains and the sunshine is suffused with the golden, soft-focus glow of summer. For anyone who has seen the Gwyneth Paltrow/Jeremy Northam version of Emma, this has the same feel to it. The point is made that the last phase of a woman’s life, like a flower’s, is the most glorious, and the natural, blooming beauty evoked by the landscape neatly compliments this. The direction is generally almost unnoticeable quiet, as it should be in a film like this, with the odd artistic flourish, such as Jem’s desperate, symbolic attempt to reclaim the life he feels is changing under him, ending in a cloud of fluttering newsprint. The setting is stunning, with some gorgeous oh-so-English countryside, and really speaks for itself. Flowers and flower analogies, in particular sunflowers, have an important role in the film, so almost every seen has a floral arrangement in it, or part of it. This has a twee cosiness about it, which fits with its character and humour, which is plentiful and witty, mostly comprising of sharp one-liners, unexpected outbursts and an opening routine with a fraudulent cake… Then nudity, too, is handled in much the same way as it is in the calendar, all suggestion, most of the body concealed behind a plant, or a watering can, or an iced bun or two, with no rude awakenings! And you end up admiringly noticing that Celia Imrie and Julie Walters are in great shape! Probably even more so than Helen Mirren, who is now famous for her post-fiftieth stripping phase.

No front bottoms… I’ll do it as long as there are no front bottoms.

While I don’t wish to convey the impression that this is a film only for an audience that mirrors the age and sex of the protagonists, it probably will appeal most to women, especially of a similar age to Mirren et al. And to enjoy it, I think you have to know that this is the kind of thing you like, or don’t mind watching, as it’s quite obviously not a rip-roaring thriller. Having said that, my 23-year-old self and my 39-year-old male cousin thought it was enjoyed it, as did various other diverse members of the predominantly mid-twenties audience (apart from one who snorted and mock-snored; why not just leave?). It’s a touching, pleasant way to while away an afternoon in the cinema, but by no means something that has to be seen on the big screen- in fact, it’s the perfect lazy-day video offering, and I recommend it as such. This is not a flawless film, it's not challenging or thrilling or admirable in the jawdropping sense and it can be slow and a little unbalanced, but it’s a very decent, very... er... NICE one, so four stars it is.

Congratulations, it’s a calendar.

Clocking in at 108 minutes, just under two hours, it’s a reasonable length to occupy attention without outliving its welcome, and its 12A rating means that it is suitable for almost all the family. The rating reflects mild nudity and the odd dodgy language, although frankly I’m sure kids have heard worse… I’d have gone with PG myself on that front, although perhaps embarrassed kids not used to discovering that mum has a life would have made the cinema screenings a bit of a nightmare, so I’d simply advise parental discretion at home.

For news of preview screenings, movie competitions etc, see www.firstmovies.com or www.thefilmfactory.co.uk


Thanks for reading, happy film going!
Alex :)

Right... have taken out the quotation marks as they caused problems, even though I C&P'd from wordpad... hope that helps!


yes... I only posted this because I seem to be going alphabetically filmically... I may be stumped when I get to D...

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