Last year, Atom Egoyan, writer and director of "Exotica" and "Sweet Hereafter," gave us a highly acclaimed but largely unseen story of a lonely, middle-aged serial killer and a girl with whom he comes in contact. While "Felicia's Journey" is not as good as "Exotica," (I admit I haven't seen "Hereafter" yet) it is still a powerful story fueled by an incredible lead performance by Bob Hoskins ("Michael," "Nixon").
Joseph Hilditch (Hoskins) is a lonely man, living in England in a large house that is filled with appliances from the fifties. He is some sort of caterer by day, and by night, he is consumed in his thoughts and memories. A food afficionado, he is often seen preparing exquisite meals by himself while watching tapes of an old cooking show featuring an over-zealous woman. It turns out that this woman is Hilditch's late mother, and Hilditch was often a reluctant guest star as a child on his mother's show. Although Hilditch feels strong anger towards his mother, it is not for the usual reasons of abuse or neglect. It is because he was smothered by her love, a reminder that too much of a good thing can often backfire.
Intertwined in Hilditch's introduction in the film is the establishment of our other main character, a young Irish woman named Felicia (Elaine Cassidy - a beautiful and talented young unknown actress). Much like Hilditch, Felicia does not feel warmly toward her parents. Her mother died when Felicia was very young, and her father disavowed her when he found out she is dating a young man who has joined the British army, the detested foe of Ireland. Felicia, not believing that her boyfriend Johnny has actually joined the army, has traveled across the channel in search for him. She meets Hilditch when he gives her advise on where to look for Johnny and also repeated directions on how to get to these places. Eventually, Hilditch points Felicia to a factory center 50 miles away and offers her a ride there because he is going that way the next morning. This journey is where the two characters really begin their relationship, and it is where the gist of the film begins.
The main attraction to this film, other than the other excellent work by the director, is the excellent lead performance by Bob Hoskins. I just saw "Minus Man" the other day, a film which attempted unsuccessfully to explore the mind of a quiet and, dare I say, "well-mannered" serial killer. The main reason "Minus Man" did not work for me is because Owen Wilson, while a good actor, is just not strong enough to pull off the complicated performance. Bob Hoskins, however, in a somewhat similar role, pulls it off with flair. Elaine Cassidy is also very good in the other lead, though her performance is not quite as difficult as Hoskin's. The only annoying character, and this is, to me, the film's main flaw, is the door-to-door Jamaican born evangelist who keeps popping up over and over again. Her over-accentuated voice and her cries for the repentance of others are enough to make you drive you as crazy as she drives Hilditch and Felicia.
The ending of the film is a little bit of a disappointment, and as I just mentioned, the evangelist is unbearable. Other than these flaws, the film succeeds in every way imaginable. Rarely do I pay much attention to this aspect of a film, but the soundtrack and score are brilliant and powerful. The cinematography is also wonderful, and the direction by Egoyan is superb. In looking up this film on the Internet Movie Database, I discovered that it was nominated for ten Genie Awards (Canada's equivalent of the Oscars) and won four of them - Best Leading Actor, Best Cinematography, Best Musical Score, and Best Adopted Screenplay. I only wish Hoskins had been nominated for an Oscar for his remarkable work.
Although this is surely not a picture you will be likely to discuss with your friends or coworkers, as the chances any of them have seen it are slim to none, it is surely worth renting and checking out at home.
A seemingly gentle man (Hoskins) who befriends innocent young women in need, only to turn them into his victims. Felicia (Cassidy) is the latest of hi...More at HotMovieSale.com
A moving and chilling portrait of a serial killer who befriendsinnocent young women in need, only to turn them into hisvictims. Felicia is the latest ...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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