Joe's Palace

Then theres a really, REALLY, thick headed kid that you just hate for most of the movie. His mom kinda sells him off in a way, but at least he has a good job all of the sudden without needing to have finished high school. Right? Well...its easy enough to do, but again, the kid is dumb as hell. Theres little in the way of any responsible adults around as they all are either complacent, home wrecking, apathetic, tired and distraught, oblivious, or just senile. The perfect environment for a slow young fella that needs to still grow and develop into adulthood. The movie is like a Jane Austin adaptation, but instead of the painfully obvious over dramatic insipid romantic angle, this film just goes nowhere. Except to the local deli. Again. And again. And then wanders around town looking for a friend. I cant even call these spoilers, because though I am not telling anything truly revealing here, there really isnt much to tell. Yet IRONICALLY I LIKED THIS FILM BEFORE THE END! Theres a sequel too which sucked, and also involved way too much freedom of entrance unto others properties as a shabby premise. WHOOPS. Was that a spoiler though? I dont care. Watch this with a good few drinks in you. Otherwise, you will just be lost and angry most of the time.

British TV auteur Stephen Poliakoff (sadly not famous in America) has a different approach to storytelling and entertainment than his peers, wonderfully exemplified by this innovative feature starring the great Michael Gambon.

He's perfectly cast as a reclusive (and then some!) billionaire who lives in London across from a house inherited from his late father, that is kept up by a servant staff but empty -no one lives there.

Young Danny Lee Wynter is hired as a sort of doorman/guard and concierge for the place, and Poliakoff uses him as a sponge allowing the viewer to look at very ordinary aspects of the world around one with wonderment. He totally vicariously through this job, befriending Kelly Reilly and Rupert Penry-Jones, who play illicit lovers he lets use a bedroom upstairs, as well as Rebecca Hall, who works in a local shop where he buys cold cuts and cheese for Gambon.

Story unfolds in elliptical fashion, as we see commonplace interactions with wide-eyed Joe. The cast does a terrific job creating characters who we only see in brief snatches, but whose depth is exposed as Poliakoff injects his major themes of loneliness and of course "getting involved", rather than living one's life (as both Joe and Gambon's character) a merely an observer.

The climax to Gambon's story is shocking and powerful. Along the day are memorable moments, particularly an elaborate semi-spoof of the popular "Antiques Roadshow", which turns out to be important to the main story and its "secret" reveal. Poliakoff's only concession to commercial and popular tastes is the fleeting images of softcore sex and Kelly's semi-nudity, 15 years before her American stardom in "Yellowstone". Co-star Danny plays essentially the same role in a Poliakoff companion movie "Capturing Mary", starring Maggie Smith.

I agree with the first review here- I didn't want the film to end. All of the characters seem very realistic to me; the plot feels real; the performances are very focused and sincerely done, especially that of Michael Gambon, who really shines but is sly and subtle in this performance; the writing is very mature and paced very well. I didn't read any hints or reviews in advance so the turn in the plot near the end truly shocked and saddened me. I chose to view it because Janet Suzman recommended the author's work to me. Overall, I found the writing and the entire production to be very powerful. It haunted me for quite some time. Thank you, Ms. Suzman, for your advice, and makers of this work for a finely made film! (It's still available on HBOGO.)

It's always a bit of a surprise to visit here after I've seen a wonderful movie. There are intelligent people that see it through eyes that are as valid as mine, yet they saw nothing as I did.

I think it would be wise not to take too much from any of the reviews that you see here. If you are one of the lucky ones that see the film as I did, you will be rewarded by an experience that's as full as "Howard's End". If not, you'll likely know within the first 15 minutes and you can do something else.

I thought the acting was as good as anything I've seen in the past couple of years. It wasn't just Gambon, it was pretty much across the board. Wynter was unbelievably good. Kelly Reilly was perfect.

If you haven't read the spoilers yet, don't. This movie is subtle. Give it a try.

I sum up this film as boring, tedious, slow, and meaningless. It's a BBC TV production that brings the London atmosphere and humor. In my opinion, the big attraction of the film is the actress Kelly Reilly (always beautiful). As a recommendation, I sincerely DO NOT recommend it.