An Angel At My Table
Posted by martinteller on April 14, 2006
The story of Janet Frame, New Zealand’s celebrated author, pieced together from excerpts of her autobiographical trilogy. I’ve never read any Frame (and let’s face it, I probably won’t… I get so little reading done these days), but she seems like an intelligent, sensitive writer. Although linear in structure, the story doesn’t take you from point A to point B, but rather produces fragments of interest. Some large (most notably the eight years she spent institutionalized for schizophrenia), some small (a minor childhood humiliation, for instance) but all rich with sincere human behavior, emotion, and drama. The three actresses who play Frame at various ages are all fine, but it’s Kerry Fox who dominates with a stunning, nuanced portrayal. You can tell how deeply she inhabited this character, and can appreciate how difficult it is. The film is gobsmackingly gorgeous, with bright warm lighting and vibrant colors (always punctuated by Frame’s shock of red hair) that leap out of the screen. I liked The Piano, this one’s even better. Rating: 9
Addendum 4/17/06: I find that this movie keeps haunting my thoughts. Bumping the rating up to a 10
