Shuttlecock

This astonishing film based on Graham Swift's novel, "Shuttlecock," captures the essence of Swift's unmercifully precise but poignant dissection of a father/son relationship in a series of emotionally brutal outbursts and nightmarish flashbacks before pulling both men to a point of resolution - for good or ill. No spoilers here but you won't be sorry you stayed the course.

Although a bit uneven, the film is visually stunning, innovative and exceptionally well acted, especially by the principals. The late Alan Bates, once again, proves to be the past master of the enigmatic in all its guises. As the father, Bates slips into psychosis as naturally as picking up the morning newspaper while the harried and self-loathing son (Lambert Wilson) struggles to reach into his father's past as his own life unravels. An artful, ambitious film well worth seeing on many levels.

While striving to solve a mystery, the film creates on of its own. Why has this truly excellent film (shown on UK TV) never been released to theaters? There are hints in the Alan Bates Archive but is that really the whole story? This film cries out to be seen!

A film with an extraordinary cinematography and music. Acting by Alan Bates and Lambert Wilson is excellent. The atmosphere of the film between past and present is extremely well rendered. Music by Garbarek adds to the haunting feeling. Although the end scene is not convincing, the film is very interesting and compelling to watch. I saw it twice and was equally fascinated. The cinematography of Denus Lenoir is simply amazing, it all looks like Rembrandt paintings. Alan Bates is amazing,as usual, in the role of man broken by his guilt and victim of a cruel ordeal. It was shot in Portugal and the UK. I highly recommend this film that I saw by accident on a TV channel. I think it is was never released in theaters.

I fell a sleep the first time watching. The following morning I decided to try and watch it again, because I really didn't know if I was just board or missing the whole point of the story. Anyway, on the second go-round, I found the plot. It's a touching film, however, one must be open to long drawn out scenes and a payoff that makes one wait.

The only reason I can imagine this film has received poor reviews is because it is being promoted as a thriller, when it is not. It's not suspenseful. It's a straight-up family drama that involves lies and omissions and how they have affected three generations of men. I watched it thinking it would be a thriller, but as I also like well-made dramas I stuck around and was glad I did. I imagine most of the people giving a poor review ditched the movie within minutes of finding out it isn't a thriller.

It is filmed beautifully, and the acting is on point. The soundtrack is unobtrusive but solid. The pacing is a bit slow, but makes sense overall. I've never seen the lead actor before but he is one of the few actors who can realistically play himself as a young dad as well as himself as a middle-aged man. Impressive.

If you are keen on a fast-paced thriller with spies, action, and suspense you will likely give up on the film quickly. If you enjoy non-cliche dramas check this one out.

"Shuttlecock" is the code name for Alan Bates' character, a British agent renowned for his work with the French Resistance in World War II. Having just released a successful book about his wartime exploits, he has retired to 1960s Portugal in the time of Salazar's fascist regime. Shortly after the book's release, he is found speechless and disheveled near a train station, nearly catatonic after experiencing an unknown trauma. Bates' adult son begins to investigate his father's past, becoming obsessed with unlocking the truth and explaining his muteness.

"Shuttlecock" is a technically accomplished, quite beautiful film with a troubled production history. The director's cut features new footage filmed in 2014 with the original actors that bookends and elucidates the family saga. The new footage is edited seamlessly, and all of it looks fantastic. Many film databases list the revised version as an entirely separate movie with a 2020 release date.

Although the story's mysteries are ultimately revealed in a satisfying way, it must be admitted it can be slow going getting there. There is a chilly, reserved quality to the storytelling that requires patience from the viewer. In addition to the great Alan Bates, the film features a very strong Lambert Wilson performance, who portrays a character that may have seemed histrionic in the hands of a lesser actor.

This handsomely produced, well-acted drama of World War II's impact on one British family will reward patient viewers, and I'm glad it got finished so many years later.