Hope Gap

Two great actors in Annette Bening and Bill Nighy take us through the breakdown of a marriage. Not wonderful subject matter and some may argue that there may be better ways to wile away an hour and a half, but it is portrayed very well. I love Bill Nighy in everything, and even though I don't necessarily like his character here, he does it with aplomb.

Having been married for about the same time as the couple portrayed here it was interesting to see what both had done wrong, or could have done better to preserve their marriage. Some reviewers have blamed the wife but I think that's unfair. Perhaps my one reservation is that there was a subtle message running through it that if the husband, his lover and the son could move on and be happy, then so should the wife. That's a bit harsh as I'm sure many jilted wives would attest.

Feel sorry for the writer and director who evidently based this on his own parent's breakup. Interestingly, writing this now as the pandemic wreaks havoc around the world it is interesting to see that marriages are another victim of the virus. Too many couples having grown apart, and then forced to be together, have found the situation unbearable. How sad.

Hope Gap

The title put me off viewing this but when I finally did this was very good.

A tight script with even tighter acting, the great revelation being the total lack of insight Grace, played by Annette Benning, showed in her understanding of her behaviour to others. I am even unclear even at the end of the movie that she had made any progress on this point and this was where her personal redemption lay. I am glad she got what she deserved when the worm turned!

With that said it had great insight into the human condition and I really enjoyed the whole thing.

I'm giving this a hard 7 for the nuance of delivery by Benning it was an acting masterclass.

This is not the best film you will ever see but it may possibly be the best portrayal of a love-less marriage and the finding of real love you may ever see on screen. Someone in amongst the writers, Director etc has experience the emotions on show here and the cast bring them to life in a very easy, simple way. Bening is truly wonderful in her performance, I actually felt hate for her character. How she missed an award is beyond me. I felt the response by Angela at the end perfectly summed up the whole situation. Worth a watch this one

I think it was the accent (or something) but Annette Bening's vocal scenes were terrible and very off-putting. She reminded me of Maggie Gyllenhaal in that TV series a few years back (The Honourable Woman). The accent was very affected; like an American taught them the way they think an English person speaks. But in Honourable Woman, the accent seems to be more suited to the role. Not in this movie. Overall it was okay, but Annette Bening's accent was hard to overlook.

William Nicholson both wrote and directed this artistic and sensitive little cinematic masterwork. The story examines relationships and the breakdown of marriage in a manner that is heartbreaking yet beautifully introspective.

Grace (Annette Bening) is a religious woman married to Edward (Bill Nighy), a professor at a local school who is not religious, and their marriage seems stable though with little communication on Edward's part. They are approaching a twenty-ninth wedding anniversary and the ties that bind their marriage appear fragile. Their son Jamie (Josh O'Connor) is involved in the tech industry and seems aloof. Edward shares his affair and love for another woman and tells Grace that he is leaving her. The life change plays out with each of the three - Grace is furious, hurt, and in denial, while Edward is having difficulty with the machinations of the end of their marriage, and Jamie is torn between his love for both parents and the crush of his beliefs systems that appear to unravel. Grace ultimately regains her footing and discovers a new, powerful voice and ultimately finds a way to be happy.

The cinematography by Anna Valdez-Hanks heightens the emotional impact of the film as does the musical score by Alex Heffes. Annette Bening, Bill Nighy, and Josh Charles offer polished performances and the small attending cast members are excellent. The addition of poetry greatly enhances the film's messages. But the primary contributor to the success of this film is the script and direction by Nicholson, who to date has written such films as Les Miserables, Unbroken, and Gladiator. He is a major talent. In all, this is a small but vibrant film that deserves a very large audience.