Talk of Angels

It may be the oldest storytelling device in the world.

You take external events, usually a war or some political oppression. You draw grand sweeps that show passion and scope and boundless consequence.

And in this opulence of effect you place a love story, folded within if you wish.

After all, there is no emotion in existence that is stronger than romantic love and all its twists and perversions. But these are impossible to display because they are internal. So these internal locomotives are given the external clothes of the other fold.

How many of our great stories are thus framed? How many films?

Well, here's one. I suppose you judge these things on how powerful the emotions are that the love story evokes. This is a sort of "Casablanca" with the genders reversed. The woman needs to stunt her passions and "give" her lover to the higher fold, and live forever with the memory of one encounter.

I admit, this rings solidly for me. I shake when I shape it in my heart.

Back to the judgment: how effectively is this expressed in a way that the film plumbs and guides the waters of the heart it pulls. Does the thing give us tides?

Well, the people are beautiful. But oddly, we know these actors from elsewhere and they have been more beautiful there. In particular we depend on Polly Walker here. She has an extraordinary appeal in other projects. "8 1/2 Women" was a difficult movie to survey, but once it sticks, it is Polly who pulls us through the canals of desire. "Enchanted April" was slight but she was powerful.

She acts with her brow and has one of the most appealing brows in film.

But, alas. Although lots of money was spent. And the sets are effective, we have something like "Head in the Clouds" where we know what we are supposed to get. And we might get it by mere suggestion but the film actually gets in the way.

So the bad guys win this time. No passion.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

"Talk of Angels" tells of a betrothed Irish woman (Walker) who leaves her strife-torn homeland to take a job as governess to a wealthy family in Spain where she falls in love with a married man. The film, based on the writings of Kate O'Brien, is an attempt at a lavish and rich romantic tale set against an epic backdrop of Spanish civil war (circa 1930's). However, the screenplay tries to do too much for the allotted run time resulting in a weak, diluted, and ill-focused story of nebulous purpose, meaning, and significance. "Talk of Angels" will likely play best with mature women and incurable romantics. (C+)

Note - Viewers who enjoy this film might be interested in a parallel film, also with Penelope Cruz, of the same period but different genre, "Belle Epoque".

I enjoyed this movie, since I tend to like movies about longing and love. Vincent Perez has eyes that just melt the screen and Polly Walker is breathtakingly gorgeous. I liked the interaction between her character and her Irish friends - especially Frances McDormand whose face says so much with hardly a word.

I think it would have been better if they showed a little bit more interaction between Vincent P. and Polly. Loved the actress that read the poem aloud. Her voice is oddly soothing.

Also, got a kick out of her friend with the kooky hat!

I know this is the type of movie that is more of a woman's movie - I know my husband could probably not sit through it.

It's the 1930's. Young Irish woman Mary Lavelle (Polly Walker) comes to Spain to work as governess in the Areavaga family. Political tension is pressuring the wealthy family. The married son Francisco (Vincent Perez) is politically active, and falls for Mary. The father Dr. Vicente (Franco Nero) is sympathetic but endeavors to stay moderate. Mary is unsure about her impending marriage to a political activist in Ireland.

Interestingly, it features Frances McDormand in a minor role as another Irish governess, and Penélope Cruz as one of the daughters. Franco Nero is giving tremendous depth to the movie. Polly Walker seems a bit too old for the role. The character is better served to have younger more naive 20something.

The production value could be better. It feels like a higher end made-for-TV movie. The backdrop of Spanish political instability adds a great deal of tension. Without a doubt, this is a soapy romance. Sometimes, it's abrupt like pages are missing from a book. And the ending isn't that satisfying with many questions left unanswered.

Irishwoman Polly Walker leaves her home and fiance during the aftermath of the Troubles to become a governess to the daughters of wealthy Franco Nero in Spain. She falls in love with Nero's son, Vincent Perez. But it's 1936, and there's this civil war going on there; while Perez goes off to fight for the government, Nero favors the fascists, and the other Irish women in Spain who are her friends thinks she's misbehaving.

There is some very nice acting in this movie from the principals and the likes of Frances McDormand, Penelope Cruz, and rather lush color camera work by Aleksey Rodionov. I got the impression that director Nick Hamm was taking Kate O'Brien's novel, and infusing the cinematic interpretations of Ibanez' Spain, with considerable success.