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Mister Foe By Harry Forbes Catholic News Service NEW YORK (CNS) -- "Mister Foe" (Magnolia) is an offbeat but well-made and strangely affecting Scottish coming-of-age tale about Hallam Foe (Jamie Bell), a voyeuristic teen who is deeply troubled after the drowning death of his mother. Hamlet-like, he blames his father, Julius (Ciaran Hinds), for an overly hasty marriage to stepmother Verity (Claire Forlani), whom Hallam suspects of poisoning his mother before the drowning. He runs away to Edinburgh and takes a kitchen job at a large hotel where he falls for personnel director Kate (Sophia Myles), mainly because of her striking resemblance to his mother. He watches Kate's private movements from the clock tower of the hotel. His illusions about her are shattered when he discovers she is having an affair with their married boss, Alisdair (Jamie Sives), prompting Hallam to take action. Bell, who rose to fame with his star-making role in 2000's "Billy Elliot," continues to impress as he gives another subtle and multifaceted performance. But the cast is uniformly good; it includes Maurice Roeves as Hallam's kitchen mentor and Ewen Bremner as another co-worker. Though there is ultimately forgiveness and redemption for the young man, many viewers will be bothered by aberrant elements of the highly improbable story, based on Peter Jinks' novel. Hallam's voyeurism is not, basically, sexually motivated, but there is an undeniable kinkiness to his proclivities, which include occasionally dressing in his mother's clothes. It's clear that he does so, however, to feel close to her once again. So, too, his obsession with the pretty Kate has some necrophiliac overtones -- akin to James Stewart's morbid relationship with Kim Novak in Hitchcock's "Vertigo." (At one point Hallam has Kate wear his mother's dress.) With all of this, director David Mackenzie's film is best approached -- if at all -- for its complex themes rather than its sometimes objectionable content. The film was released in the U.K. under the title "Hallam Foe." The film contains some brief but strong sexual content, partial male and female nudity, adultery, nonmarital sexual encounters, some rough language and profanity, blunt sexual talk, suicide and violence including attempted murder. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is L -- limited adult audience, films whose problematic content many adults would find troubling. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is R -- restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. - - - Forbes is director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. More reviews are available online at www.usccb.org/movies. END Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed. CNS · 3211 Fourth St NE · Washington DC 20017 · 202.541.3250 |
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