Wednesday, September 1, 2010
‘The Yellow Handkerchief’ Review
I have to admit this was my least anticipated KStew movie to come out this year, since the road movie ensemble thing isn’t exactly my bag. However, looking at the cast helped me get into the headspace to watch and enjoy the movie. I’ve been a huge fan of William Hurt and Maria Bello since before I knew anything about Kristen, and was equally looking forward to seeing them share screen time. Also intriguing was Hurt’s ex-inmate, Brett interacting with the Stew’s sullen teenager, Martine; trailers and clips promised a few very emotionally charged scenes between the two.
It’s an ensemble piece, but William Hurt is the pivotal character whose journey is being followed through flashbacks with Maria Bello’s character, May, as well as in present time during the car journey through post-Katrina Louisiana. My appreciation for Hurt goes back a long way, thanks to his fantastic portrayals of a wide variety of characters. He was in Into the Wild, although he didn’t share any scenes with Kristen. His most recent roles that come to mind are Duke Leto Atreides in the Sci-Fi Channel adaptation of Paul Herbert’s Dune, Viggo Mortensen’s big brother in A History of Violence (also starring Maria Bello, incidentally), and a police detective in the sci-fi noir classic, Dark City. Hurt is know for his intense research and preparation for roles. I think it shines through in this movie as his portrayal of a newly released prisoner adjusting back to society looked very believable.
Maria Bello’s May is mostly seen through flashbacks. Bello first caught my attention during her stint in ER, and subsequently in a string of movies such as Payback, Coyote Ugly and The Cooler. Probably her most vivid performance came in Downloading Nancy, an indie with disturbingly intriguing subject matter. Although she also puts in a very strong performance worthy of a Golden Globe nod in A History of Violence.
I had to do some Googling to find out more about Eddie Redmayne, who is one of the members of the Brit Pack and a relatively unknown (to me) British actor. It was interesting to learn that he has quite the list of performances under his belt, with roles in the BBC adaptation of Tess of the D’Urbervilles, The Good Shepherd (also starring Hurt) and The Other Boleyn Girl (with another Brit Packer, Andrew Garfield). His character in this movie rubbed me the wrong way from the start, especially the repeated references to his less-than-apparent Native American roots.
My first impression was that it’s not actually a road movie, but rather the story of a relationship. It’s all very centered on Brett and May’s story, and Hurt and Bello give excellent performances here. I don’t want to give out too much of the plot, but there are some very powerful scenes between the two.
Kristen’s role is a supporting one, as is Eddie’s, but they do a good job with what they were given. Stew gives a delicate performance as the young Martine, who is desperately looking for someone to take care of her due to a distant relationship with her father. She latches onto Brett as a paternal figure, and his chastisements of her trusting nature provide nice interplay between her and Hurt. I especially liked their staring contest following her suggestion of them living together and him taking care of her.
I eventually enjoyed Eddie Redmayne’s portrayal of the outlandish computer repair wizard turned into a traveling hedge ‘explorer’. There’s good chemistry there between him and Kristen, and they portray the increasing closeness of Martine and Gordy’s relationship in a very subtle and understated way through glances and halting dialogue. Hurt is great here by providing cool relationship advice to both in his Southern drawl.
I really dug the soundtrack. It’s mostly composed of acoustic, folksy, guitar pieces that complement the beautiful camera work. I couldn’t recognize any of the songs, but there’s plenty of Zydeco, country blues and traditional tunes to enjoy. Visually, we’re treated to amazing stretches of Louisiana countryside, dilapidated houses and small town scenery.
I’m giving The Yellow Handkerchief three loquat pies out of four. It’s a small, unassuming movie that revolves around the decisions we make in life and their ramifications. It was slow to get moving, and I was initially put-off by the constant switching between the present and Brett’s flashbacks. But once it gained its feet, the story rolled enjoyably into a sweet, if somewhat predictable, ending. Stew fans are in for a few interesting scenes along the way, but it’s the Hurt-Bello axis that provides the most sizzle.
Love your review! I have yet to see this film, but I am going to make a point to see it over the weekend. I LOVE Maria Bello. Didn’t realize she is in this film too.
Nice review! Well thought out and a fair assessment.
3 loquat pies out of 4! lol Love that! Great post, K. I’m a big fan of Hurt & Bello as well(Bello is a hometown Philly girl after all). I have to Netflix this one.
Nice review, Kerensky. This is one of the remaining KStew movies I need to watch. Looking forward to it!
Very nice job
And I heart Eddie Redmayne. So I will def be checking this one out when I can.
I loved this little and very touching movie. The tears of Gordy (Eddie), the smile in Brett’s face at the last bar (Hurt), the intensity of May (Bello) and the insistence and strength of Martine had a lot of tenderness for me. Thank you for this review.