INNOCENCE * * 1/2
Director: Paul Cox Writer: Paul Cox Cast: Charles Tingwell, Julia Blake, Terry Harris Not Rated, 94 minutes
Young love, it's a subject drenched with nostalgia and sentimentality, but what about old love? Can a relationship flourish if its participants are 73? Yes, and no
It has been nearly fifty years since Andreas (Tingwell) and Claire (Blake) had their love affair in post-war Belgium. Since then, Claire has married John (Norris), and Andreas's spouse has passed on. Andreas, still feeling what he believes is love, writes a letter to Claire after the half century they spent apart. He wants to see her again, and while she is reluctant at first, she too cannot deny the passion that lingers between her and Andreas. Claire's marriage to John, of course, complicates matters.
While Innocence has played the festival circuit as a quietly affecting drama, it is actually a long-drawn-out, slow comedic tragedy that is always in danger of falling apart. The film teeters at its beginning, where Andreas, for seemingly no particular reason, writes a letter to his old love. This happens over the opening credits, accompanied by images of the couple in their early years. Everything was the way it should be back then. Director Paul Cox chooses to intercut random shots of the young Andreas and Claire together throughout the film. This happens until he eventually gave me the feeling that these people were trying to relive their teenage years, rather than share a contemporary, yet old-fashioned relationship. Claire remarks at least five times, "Don't act that way. It's like I'm seventeen again." All three main characters over-analyze their situations to obscene standards, and use lots of big words. It is, indeed, like watching an episode of Dawson's Creek with much, much older actors. More unnecessary scenes and dialogue pile up as it goes on. This should have been much tighter.
Cox should be thankful for his actors. They save the entire movie and nearly make the whole thing believable and enjoyable. Charles Tingwell, Julia Blake, and Terry Norris all give excellent performances. There is a sense of truth in their work that evades the rest of the picture. Innocence is, like The Straight Story, a reminder that there are many aged actors overflowing with talent that aren't getting any work in Hollywood today. Congratulations are also in order for Tony Clark, the film's cinematographer.
Age might play a big factor in whether or not you enjoy Innocence. The film will certainly appeal to an older demographic, who will probably appreciate it more than I did. Innocence doesn't lose all innocence completely, but there wasn't enough here for me.
A film review by Frankie Paiva. Copyright 2000 Frankie Paiva.
See more of my reviews at http://homestead.com/cinemaparadise/mainpage.html
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