Is Anybody There?

Is Anybody There? and its star, Michael Caine, was in the news at the time of its release as Caine's wife was reportedly unhappy about his role in the film as it's the first time that he was going to die on screen.  Caine told his wife that she'd seen him die in loads of films but she replied that there was a difference as his characters had been killed, but had never died of old age or natural causes.
 
Set in 1987 on the North Yorkshire coast, this is the story of a young boy, Edward, who lives in an old people's home which is run by his parents.  Edward obsesses about the paranormal and what happens to people when they die, even going so far as to place his tape recorder in rooms where people died to see if anything was recorded and keeps a diary of any events.  When an ex-magician, the recently widowed Clarence, arrives in the campervan in which he has been living, Edward's outlook changes slightly as Clarence isn't a typical resident, hating the place and even attempting suicide. 
 
 

 
Edward takes an interest in the old man which is reciprocated as Clarence wants Edward to stop obsessing about death and join the land of the living and his magic act proves to be a source of interest for the boy.  Just as Clarence is desperate for Edward to find friends and leave his obsession with ghosts behind, Edward tries to find ways for Clarence to grieve properly and end his fixation with his late wife.  Meanwhile tensions between Edward's parents escalate with his father hating the home and the work whilst his mother is permanently upbeat and wants to please everyone.
 
One of the standout features of Is Anybody There? is the cast, led by Michael Caine as Clarence and with Bill Milner, fresh from his success in Son of Rambow, as Edward.  Mum and Dad are played by Anne-Marie Duff and David Morrissey but the real gold is in the residents who include Leslie Philips, Elizabeth Spriggs, Sylvia Simms and Peter Vaughan - there is a real collection of great British acting talent both old and new.
 
 
 
The characters are fascinating, with the melancholy and mischief of Edward matched by the unconventional Clarence and Edward's parents, who have their own problems, so distant that they don't even have names - they are just Mum and Dad, especially his mother who is just a mother figure to everyone.  Of the residents, Leslie Philips is a hoot, telling dirty jokes to priests and appearing at Edward's birthday party in blackface, never seen without a drink in his hand.
 
The film has a beautiful mix of humour, poignancy and sadness which work together to draw your emotions one way and then another - there are plenty of laughs but also a couple of 'lump in throat' sad scenes.  Is Anybody There? is a great watch and an example of when the British film industry gets it right.

The Disc

 
Extra Features
I was expecting a commentary and making of at the very least but all the disc has is a trailer and interviews with Michael Caine, Anne-Marie Duff, Bill Milner and director John Crowley.  These are quite long and revealing though the authoring is awkward as, when one finishes, it returns to the main menu with 'play movie' selected.  I enjoyed listening to them all talking about how they became involved, developed their characters and enjoyed working on set.  It was funny listening to Michael Caine who had just returned from the US and had a fairly prominent American twang, making his accent a little transatlantic!
 
 
 
The Picture
Whilst the colours are very good, the contrast isn't as deep as I would have liked with the darker scenes having a slightly grey and grainy look.  However, the mise-en-scène is terrific with superb costume design and set decoration - the haircuts are wonderfully '80s, especially David Morrissey's mullet!
 
*The pictures contained in this review are for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect the image quality of the disc.*
 
The Sound
Both the DTS-HD Master Audio and LPCM Stereo tracks are very good with sharp dialogue and atmospherics though obviously the surround has the edge, being high definition and using the surround speakers to good effect.  This isn't a effects driven movie but the speaker setup does create a good soundstage with some fairly nuanced effects.
 
Normally period films would make use of music of the time to reinforce the visuals but this isn't the case as all the music is scored and the only time they use '80s music is during Edward's party - I had Come On Eileen stuck in my head for quite a while afterwards!
 
The disc has an audio descriptive track and English HoH subtitles.
 
 
 
Final Thoughts
I haven't come across either director John Crowley or writer Peter Harness' work before so went into this at the cinema with a completely open mind.  I loved it there and enjoyed it just as much at home last night due to the wonderful performances and Harness' script which is both witty and moving and the principle reason that Michael Caine signed up.
 
Is Anybody There? is a very special film with one of Caine's best performances and further proof that Bill Milner is a very talented young actor with a big future.  Although the disc is a bit light on extra features, it is a fine film and one well worth buying.