NELL
A film review by Alex Fung
Copyright 1994 Alex Fung
Fox Starring Jodie Foster, Liam Neeson, Natasha Richardson, Richard Libertini Screenplay by William Nicholson and Mark Handey Produced by Renee Missel and Jodie Foster Directed by Michael Apted Rated AA [Adult Accompaniment] in Canada for brief nudity
After much hype, 20th Century Fox's winter entry into the Oscar fracas, NELL, has opened here in Toronto this Xmas weekend.
NELL is a crowd-pleaser dealing with the discovery of the title character, a young woman brought up secluded from society in the woods, and found to communicate in unintelligible gibberish and grandiose sweeping and swaying gestures with her arms and body.
Nell's discovery is brought to the attention of two doctors, who invariably differ upon the course of action to be taken. One feels that the 'wild child' should be brought to the local hospital for observation and studying, while the other becomes enraptured by her innocence and pure soul, and seeks to protect her. However, the agendas of both parties become altered by an unforeseen human element.
Jodie Foster plays the title character in a breathtaking and outstanding performance. She brilliantly emotes with her eyes and facial expressions, and makes a deceptively difficult acting job convincing and effective. Foster disappears completely into the role, and makes Nell a very gut character while still exuding charisma. With this performance, it seems very likely that Foster will receive her third Best Actress Oscar in less than a decade--it is excellent work.
Liam Neeson plays Jerry, the doctor who befriends Nell, and is capable in the role, if not quite up to the calibre of Foster. He does project likeability and a good sense of timing, while being a hulking, imposing figure on the screen, especially in contrast to Foster's fragile little Nell. Natasha Richardson portrays Paula, the opposing doctor who decides that it is in Nell's best interest to take her for studying, and is just fair in the role. Her performance tends to be rather flat, and while she is competent, Richardson's emotional interludes seem too forced and inauthentic.
NELL's plotline is fairly formulaic and over-manipulative. There are many moments in the film where you may have more than an inkling on future events in the movie, and some lines of dialogue are delightfully hokey. NELL suffers from an abudance of gushing weepy over-sentimentalism, particularly in the ridiculous climactic scene which almost undermines the entire film, and one scene designed to bring suspense almost had me laugh aloud. However, Apted utilises visuals very well, with some beautiful shots of the brush and wilderness, and a very pretty sky shot at one point in the film. The film's score is lush, if somewhat omnipresent, and the keynote song of the film is Patsy Cline's CRAZY. Although filled with several stock characters, Apted has succeeded in producing a heart-warming tear-jerker that should success commercially, and showcases an outstanding acting performance by Jodie Foster. On my four-star rating scale, I give NELL three stars.
-- Alex Fung (aw220@freenet.carleton.ca)
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