LILIAN'S STORY
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 7.0 Alternative Scale: *** out of ****
Australia, 1996 Running Length: 1:35 MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Nudity, violence, profanity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Shown at the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema, 5/3/97, 5/5/97, & 5/7/97
Cast: Ruth Cracknell, Toni Collette, Barry Otto, John Flaus, Iris Shand, Susie Lindeman, Anne Louise Lambert Director: Jerzy Domaradzki Producer: Marian MacGowan Screenplay: Steve Wright based on the book by Kate Grenville Cinematography: Slavomir Idziak
Earlier this half of the century in Sydney, Australia, there was an eccentric street person named Bea Miles who regaled passersby with rousing renditions of Shakespearean monologues. Over the years, Miles became something of a local legend and cult figure, and the contributions she received for her "performances" allowed her to eke out a meager existence. In 1984, author Kate Grenville published a book called LILIAN'S STORY, which told a fictionalized account of Miles' life. Although the names and details had been changed, much of what made Miles special remained. Now, a dozen years later, that book has been transformed into a motion picture, featuring several well-known Australian actors.
Consider it SHINE 2, if you want, although it was developed at the same time (not after) its higher-profile counterpart. Those who appreciated Scott Hicks' Oscar-nominated chronicle of David Helfgott's life will certainly find something to like about LILIAN'S STORY. If you were among SHINE's detractors, however, you would do best to stay away from this movie. Although it contains many of the same themes, ideas, and narrative points, it isn't as well-acted, well-directed, or well- written. LILIAN'S STORY is a competent, occasionally-moving tale, but it's not on SHINE's level.
LILIAN'S STORY opens in modern-day Sydney, where sixty year old Lilian Singer (Australian stage luminary Ruth Cracknell) is being released from an asylum after a forty year stay. She returns to the house inhabited by her brother and father (both played by Barry Otto), but is unable to stay in a place that holds such horrible memories. Through flashbacks, we see glimpses of how she became the person that she is -- the abuse, both physical and psychological, that she suffered as a young woman (Toni Collette) at the hands of her father. Lilian decides to live on the street, reciting Shakespeare on corners for handouts. Eventually, she meets up with an old friend (John Flaus), who was once the love of her life. Now a burned-out, homeless drunk, he invites Lilian to share his meager shelter for as long as she wants to stay with him.
Recently, I've seen a number of Australian exports dealing with mental illness -- LILIAN'S STORY makes it four in less than six months (in addition to the aforementioned SHINE, the others are ANGEL BABY and COSI). This is not the best, nor is it the worst, but it lacks the freshness and urgency associated with SHINE and ANGEL BABY. The point- of-view is somewhat different -- director Jerzy Domaradzki, Polish born and schooled, views this story from an outsider's perspective, which places a little distance between the audience and the subject. His cinematographer is former Kieslowski collaborator Slavomir Idziak (hence, the amber filters during the flashback sequences).
While LILIAN'S STORY is competently acted, every performer is a notch below their counterpart in SHINE. Ruth Cracknell is wonderful, but she's not quite on the same level as Geoffrey Rush. Toni Collette's bold performance is a shade less dynamic than Noah Taylor's. And Barry Otto's controlling father falls short of Armin Mueller-Stahl's similar part. What's more, LILIAN'S STORY doesn't envelop the viewer in the same way that SHINE did. We never become as intimately connected with Lilian as we did with Helfgott. There's an intensity missing here that SHINE possessed.
That said, however, LILIAN'S STORY is still a fine motion picture, and it has the guts and determination to visit unpleasant subjects that many movies still regard as taboo. LILIAN'S STORY tells of an unorthodox triumph over adversity, but there are no bells and whistles indicating "feel good ending" at the conclusion -- it's a little more subtle than that. Two comments made by Lilian sum up the movie. The first, "At least [my life] wasn't mediocre," illustrates Lilian's character and determination. The second, "Any tale is real if told well enough," is a fair statement to make about this motion picture.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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