(UK, 93 min.)
Written and directed by Paul Andrew Williams
Starring: Terence Stamp, Gemma Arterton, Christopher
Eccelston, and Vanessa Redgrave.
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| Terence Stamp in Unfinished Song Photo Credit: Nick Wall. Courtesy of eOne Films |
“Chips and ice cream,” the doctor prescribes, as she tells a
dying Marion (Vanessa Redgrave) to go home and indulge in her greatest
pleasures. What Marion loves, however, is singing. Marion is part of a troupe dubbed
the OAPz (Old Age Pensionerz) and she sings tunes under the direction of a
bubbly young music teacher named Elizabeth (Gemma Arterton). Marion’s husband, Arthur
(Terence Stamp), an English curmudgeon if the cinema ever saw one, detests the
group that Marion loves. Now that it’s come time to say, “’til death do us
part” (this fact doesn’t spoil anything), Arthur needs something to fill the
silence of his empty house and decides to honour Marion by singing the next
refrain.
Unfinished Song,
which closed last year’s Toronto International Film Festival under the superior
title Song for Marion, is a touching tearjerker
and a cute little tale of undying love. It’s an awfully expository affair, as
the chunk of plot summary above might indicate, but Unfinished Song is a warm, affectionate crowd pleaser that’s sure
to delight. Audiences young and old should enjoy this little ditty, which plays
like The Full Monty meets Quartet, as it’s ripe with geriatric
gags and a nice little message that one is never too old to find one’s voice. The
croaky rehearsals filled with horny seniors might not let Unfinished Song age gracefully, but it’s a sweet and genuinely
sentimental choice for a matinee.
Arthur’s voice is an odd fit for the selection of sexy songs
that Elizabeth has prepared for the OAPz. One might expect that a chorus of
gramps and grannies would be singing Celine Dion. (It should be noted that Dion
supplies a tune for the closing credits.) Elizabeth instead has the old folks
sing “Crazy” in Kanye West shutter shades or perform their signature tune “Let’s
Talk About Sex” as they bump, grind, and throw out their backs. The incongruous
song choices have considerable mileage as the film’s running gag. The finale is
a gas even after ten rehearsals. If the jokes about cute old people feel
slightly milquetoast against the drizzly English setting, they nevertheless
bring to life a sombre premise about death.
Unfinished Song,
however, hits two high notes with a pair of swan songs by Marion and Arthur.
Each member of the elderly couple sings a tune during climactic performances
for the OAPz, with Redgrave getting the centrepiece of the film as Marion does
her final number during the group’s audition and with Stamp reprising Marion’s
spirit as Arthur closes the group’s performance in the climactic competition.
The two songs, which bookend a strong piece of cinema after an overdrawn
overture, are touching showpieces for each actor. Redgrave’s performance of
“True Colours,” sung from Marion to Arthur as a nod for their years of
marriage, is an unexpectedly moving performance in what is, until then, a
fairly broad and middlebrow dramedy. Unfinished
Song is a very fine moment for Redgrave as her gravelly vocals afford Marion
a touching and naked performance as she lives out her final wishes for all to
see. It’s only with Marion’s ballad does Unfinished
Song move into the material it touches opening in its opening numbers.
Once Redgrave exits the film, Stamp makes ample opportunity
to use his gruff, weathered presence and take the OAPz’ shtick as a kind of
glee club slash support group. Trading barbs with Elizabeth, the stodgy Arthur needs
much coaxing to carry Marion’s tune. Stamp and Redgrave’s strong performances
are well-matched by the spiritedness of Arterton, who plays choirmaster to the
Old Age Pensionerz and helps draw out Arthur’s sweet side once Marion passes. (Arterton
can also be seen in the current release Byzantium.)
Stamp, who actually has decent vocals, matches Redgrave’s
number by closing the film with a simple and soulful tribute to Marion by
singing Billy Joel mostly a capella. The
song, like Marion’s performance, comes on the heels of a silly number by the
OAPz, but writer/director Paul Andrew Williams and the cast handle the shifts
in tone rather well. The moment must be enjoyed as a continuation of Marion’s
song, for, as Elizabeth notes in voiceover, the greatest vocals are those
seasoned by experience. The song rings with Arthur’s sense of loss as the
grumpy old man bares himself before the crowd. It’s a swan song, for sure.
Rating: ★★★½ (out of ★★★★★)
Unfinished Song screened in Ottawa at TheByTowne.
It screens at The Mayfair beginning August 23rd.
