Shadows in the Sun

James Wilby, fresh from a painful divorce, returns to his childhood home to visit his ailing mother, and to persuade her to sell the estate before she dies. When he arrives, he finds a young man, Jamie Dornan, has been keeping his mother company. Even though we know nor learn anything about him, Dornan becomes a fixture in each member of the family's life.

Jean Simmons plays the ailing grandmother. It's pretty sad to see her so frail, since she died the following year of lung cancer. The rest of the movie flounders about in the general vicinity of depression. Wilby is an absent father, Simmons is treated with disrespect, and both grandchildren are troubled and long for guidance. Unlike other dysfunctional family movies, there's nothing particularly devastating about their problems, which makes for a more realistic but less interesting story. Unless you really like these types of depressing movies, I'd skip this one.

As a subtitler I watch around a dozen films a week, so when I started subtitling 'Shadows in the Sun' for TV, it was simply another 'job' that I had to finish by teatime. But as the film progressed, I found it utterly engrossing, subtle, nicely shot, and with a wonderful sense of place.

There are plenty of films that are set amid striking scenery, but they can often feel rather flat, as if the landscape is nothing more than a 2D backdrop. Not so with this film: you really feel like you're there, right in the middle of rural Norfolk. The air seems to hang thick with echoes of old conversations, poems read aloud, and the coos of woodpigeons. Shadows in the Sun really nails a certain, quiet sense of Englishness: something more usually steamrollered to a pulp by Love Actually et al.

And nodding by the fire, Take down this book, And slowly read, and Dream of the soft look Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;"

So begins that famous poem written by one of the greatest poets ever, William Butler Yeats, in his "When You Are Old". If I am correct, Yeats wrote that poem to a girl he still loved, pleading with her to look into the future when she would be 'old and grey', and she'd look back in time and regret the moments she might have missed. He also assures her of his unconditional, undying love.

In essence, this is the theme that inspired the making of this movie. In its short 80 minute duration, it borrows heavily from some of Yeats ideas, striving to show us that old people (Hanna played well by veteran actress Jean Simmons) was just one of many - a tired, sick old lady who didn't want to lose out on the beauty of life, who constantly remembered old experiences, thoughts, and cherished these. Frequently, such elderly ones are overlooked, and misunderstood; most are just often abandoned by their relatives, children, who now live the fast life in a fast World. Few spend time with them, fewer even take the time to reassure them of their undying love. So, it is no wonder that Hannah befriends a young boy, a helper, willing to keep her company and listen/read to her. But, one day, along comes the son with his 2 kids for a long overdue visit! The kids take well to the boy, but not so the father, who at once feels threatened by his presence.

I remember years ago I used to work as a volunteer caretaker for some elderly, and I learned then that the single most valuable commodity one can give them is precisely that: your time, coupled with love, of course. Casting some sun on those shadows that threaten them is about time, and listening, not judging, criticizing, or bullying. This movie illustrates that well.

It is a slow-paced flick, one to see on an afternoon or evening when you're not in the mood to think, or to see anything too dramatic or exciting. Warm up your favorite tea, get some cookies, and watch this tale unfold. There were, I must say, some things I would have liked to see rounded out, like the love affair between Hanna's granddaughter and the boy. There were also a few other things that could've been brought to a nicer conclusion, I think. But, OK, looking at it impartially, it was not boring if you take the time to follow closely, but neither was it the best of the rest. The scenery was really nice, though, Norfolk, England. If you've never been there, here's your chance to pay a virtual visit.

Loved the wreck, though! Would like to see it sometime in person!

I saw this film tonight on the euro channel. It is thoroughly enjoyable. The story is touching. All of the actors are wonderful in their roles, especially Jean Simmons.

The cinematography of the English countryside is lovely. As an earlier reviewer said, you'll feel like you're in Norfolk. As a bonus, I'm now a lot more familiar with the poetry of W.B. Yeats.

Many viewers will connect with the central theme of the heartbreak of watching the decline of an aging parent. I give the screenwriter great credit for the way the subject is handled here. Watching this intelligent drama was a very pleasant experience. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Jean Simmons is remarkable in her role as an older woman living on her own and not wanting to be controlled by her son who wants to move her away from all she holds dear. At the center of the story is a young man she has befriended and who treats her and everyone with quiet respect. He changes how they each see their life and family even though he is an outsider and a bit odd, played by Jamie Dornan. The film can be slow, like walking with a grandparent when you are a kid. But it is worth it. I saw it with a ninety year old friend and she said "You better make some younger friends or when you are my age you won't have any." The Jean Simmons character was a great friend with an open mind. It was inspiring.