Review of Gabriel And Me

Introduction

There has been something of a vogue for hard but sentimental movies of late. They are invariably set up North, with a fresh-faced kid fighting adversity to succeed at his dreams. The most noteworthy of course has been Billy Elliot, but a certain Billy Connolly attracted me to this interpretation of the genre. The novelty of seeing my favourite foul-mouthed comic as the angel Gabriel seemed a delightful twist and I eagerly put this disc in.

Young Jimmy Spud has one ambition, to become an angel. To that end he sends off an application form to the Angel Gabriel. Jimmy is initially surprised when Gabriel replies in person, but is soon initiated into a training programme for would be angels. How he performs in the world will determine whether he succeeds or not. The real world is not going to make it easy for Jimmy, as his family is as dysfunctional as they come, his father is an unemployed welder, his grandfather a pigeon fancying socialist and his mother a waitress in a chip shop, and being of sound Newcastle stock, communicating their feelings is the last thing his family does. When Jimmy`s father is diagnosed with terminal cancer, his family begins to disintegrate, and Jimmy`s desire to perform a miracle is thwarted by an uncooperative Gabriel. He soon begins to lose his faith in angels.

Video

The biggest problem on the disc is the 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer. The film`s original aspect ratio was 2.35:1 so some cropping has taken place. It`s a shame as Gabriel & Me is a beautifully photographed movie. The settings are very atmospheric and director Udayan Prasad`s use of light is subtle but effective. The effect in the abandoned church is particularly poignant, and of course the disused shipyards are wonderful on screen. Despite the cropped aspect ratio, the transfer is as good as you would expect for such a recent film. The colours are strong and the image is sharp, a clean crisp transfer.

Audio

Gabriel & Me gets a DD 5.1 soundtrack. It`s a good if understated track, with the emphasis on dialogue. The music is quite mellow and suits this rather wry film very well. Conspicuous by their absence are subtitles. Heaven only knows how the American market will do without them given the Newcastle accents.

Features

The Extras are limited to the theatrical trailer and a 13-minute making of featurette. The featurette is typical of such material, being an extended advert for the film. There is a heavy dose of Billy Connolly and a few interview snippets with the rest of the cast and excessive use of film excerpts. One interesting moment is Sean Landless` screen test.

Conclusion

Gabriel & Me is a heart-warming and touching film, unfortunately one that is buried under a heap of cliché. Yes, it`s yet another movie that declares, "It`s grim up north". While the abandoned shipyards do look good on the screen, we are presented with yet another dysfunctional family, finding it difficult to communicate their feelings. The father is a strong silent type, who would be glad to see his son get in a few fights and doesn`t stand for any of that namby-pamby fannying around. You have to look deeper than the clichés and stereotypes to see the heart of this movie. The essential truth in this film is the difficulty men have communicating their feelings and the relationships between father, grandfather and son are deftly explored here. As such the performances of Iain Glen, David Bradley and especially young Sean Landless are excellent. The figure of the mother is a distant one and isn`t central to the story. Billy Connolly is surprisingly restrained as Gabriel and serves merely as a confidant for Jimmy`s problems, but their relationship is sweet if understated. This serves to keep Gabriel`s status ambiguous, is he really an angel, or just a figment of Jimmy`s imagination? Jimmy`s relationship with his grandfather is far more spiritually nurturing, and Gabriel almost seems an echo of that.

Gabriel & Me is a wonderfully shot film with some strong performances. This is a film about Jimmy and Sean Landless manages to carry it off well. He is in practically every scene and he is more than up to the task. Jimmy`s desire to be an angel, while never truly explained is entertaining and make for some enjoyable moments. How Jimmy deals with his father`s mortality is gently explored, in a Hollywood production you would expect oodles of schmaltz, but that is thankfully absent here. However, I am getting tired of the Northern clichés, and the idea that all emotional strife only occurs in industrial cities, with abandoned steelworks/coalmines/shipyards is getting to be a copout. How about making one of these touching films on a Kent farm, or in a Cornish fishing village or any other place in the British Isles?