No. 256 : The End (2024)

 

The End at the IMDb

Here’s another film that I watched for my companion Michael Shannon Blog, but I thought my reader here shouldn’t be left out. The film was overlong and dull, which was a pity as the premise of a family surviving 20 years in a bunker following an environmental disaster sounded interesting, but I have to say I had my doubts when I read it was a musical.

 

The film is set wholly within the wealthy family’s bunker, which was created within a salt mine. The specifics of the disaster are kept somewhat vague, but it’s made pretty clear that Michael Shannon’s character ’Father’ was one of the instigators, given he used to control an oil company. This led to more alarm bells going off – will this be a parable about looking after the environment and pointing fingers at likely polluters? Yes, it is!

 

The film sets its stall out early on with the ‘Son’ character starting a tuneless song in which he’s soon joined with Shannon and ‘Mother’ (Tilda Swinton) together with Captain Darling as the Butler as well as a friend and a doctor. The ‘song’, as it was, was basically just a string of narrative set to a forgettable tune, sung by people who are clearly better actors than they are singers.

 

The son has lived his whole life in the bunker and knows only of the outside world what he learns from his family and their archive of press cuttings and books. Mother claims she used to be a ballerina and curates a large number of classic artworks.

 

Things bump along for a while before a teenage black girl is found in one of the bunker’s tunnels. The group initially try to scare her off but soon she is welcomed into the fold with her wide-eyed interest being the filter through which we can see this world. The film drags on for an interminable two and a half hours as they group carry out safety drills, preform plays, make animal noises and discuss how best to fart.

 

From an interesting premise the film is so dull and fails to be enlivened by the most forgettable set of songs you’ll ever hear. There is no reason why this is a musical, and the plot and character development isn’t helped by people launching into yet another song every ten minutes or so.

 

We learn slightly more about the characters as the film lists along and there is no surprise when the Son and the incomer girl start to bond. They are clearly the last vestige of hope in a shattered world, and we can only hope that their future adventures are undocumented.

 

I tried hard to like this film and stayed stoically to the end. I wasn’t rewarded with anything memorable however, and felt it was just like ‘Fallout’ with all the good elements stripped away by so many scavengers.

 

 

THE Tag Line : Thank God – It’s The End!  35%

No. 255 : The Missionary (1982)

 

The Missionary at the IMDb

I’m currently working my way through the Michael Palin Diaries on Audible and in ‘Halfway to Hollywood’ he covers at length the gestation, filming, promotion and reaction to ‘The Missionary’. It is a fascinating listen and well worth the required 27 hours of your time.

 

When you learn about the many issues in play, it’s amazing that any film is ever made and a good one even more. At the time of production, Palin was fresh from the success of ‘Life of Brian’ and ‘Time Bandits’, both of which gave him a writing credit. He was given free reign for his first solo feature, following the TV success of ‘Ripping Yarns’. ‘The Missionary’ was the result, one of the fledging films of ‘Handmade Films’ largely bankrolled by ex-Beatle, George Harrison.

 

Having learned so much about the background of the film I felt guilty in not liking it more. It is a worthwhile production but seems somewhat insubstantial with a lot happening off camera and there not being much in the way of believable character development.

 

Palin stars as Charles Fortescue, the titular missionary. The film opens with his name being painted out from an honours board, so we know things don’t end well for him, at least as far as the establishment is concerned. We flashback to his time in Africa and there are some sumptuous scenes of Palin in the bush, no not like that, teaching kids and spreading the good word.

 

After ten years of service, he heads back to England for his next posting and to marry his patient fiancé, the annoying Deborah, who has the twin irritations of a nasally voice and a love of filing. Fortesque meets the bishop (Denholm Elliott) who asks that he set up a mission for fallen women in the slums of London. To add to his challenge, he is also to arrange the funding for this endeavour. He meets with the wealthy Lord Ames (Trevor Howard in fine batty form) but makes more of a connection with his wife, played by Maggie Smith.

 

Lady Ames is a frustrated housewife who wastes no time in telling Fortescue that if he takes care of her, she’ll take care of the funding. The deal is settled when following a late-night visit to his room, the good lady takes care of Fortescue under the covers.

 

Things move apace with a wonderfully realised London giving a fine backdrop to Fortescue’s research and then mission house. He goes to a hooker’s house to ask her some questions but soon succumbs to her questionable charms. I didn’t really buy his weakness here, but I guess the point is he’s sexually repressed and will take any offer he gets – and he does!

 

Soon the mission house is full and when Lady Ames finds Fortescue in the company of some scantily clad lovelies, she withdraws funding. This causes the girls to go back on the streets and the place is soon flourishing. Alas, the other mission houses aren’t getting their share and complaints to the bishop cause Fortescue to be given an ultimatum to leave or be defrocked. He doesn’t have his troubles to seek as he also gets wind of a plan of Lady Ames to kill her husband, and he must head to Scotland to intervene.

 

On the grouse fields will Fortescue save the day? and what will become of Lady Ames and the mission?

 

There is a lot to like here with some wonderful sets and some fine cinematography. Great care is taken over every shot and the cast is excellent, with Timothy Spall appearing in a small role and Michael Hordern as a scatty butler who does his getting lost bit too often for my liking.

 

The film does ask a lot of the viewer. It’s only 80 odd minutes and the character jumps are somewhat jarring. Fortescue is seemingly a devoted missionary and fiancée but is soon boffing anything that moves. Lady Ames is also poorly drawn with late revelations and an outcome that didn’t ring true at all.

 

In his diaries Palin bemoans poor test screenings and late edits and I’ve no doubt a longer and better film lies chopped up on the editor’s floor. For all it’s faults though there is plenty to like with a few laughs, a fine cast and some lovely sets, setting it apart from the standard period piece.

THE Tag Line : Let us pray - for a better film! 58%