Performance sets film apart

There are a lot of films made in which a person with a physical disability has their life re-energised by the addition of an unqualified caregiver.

 

THE CARER

Director: Janos Edelenyi
Cast: Brian Cox, Coco Konig, Anna Chancellor, Carl Johnson, Emilia Fox, Andor Lukats, Selina Cadell, Andrew Havill, Roger Moore
Rating: (M)
Four stars (out of five)

 

The Carer (Rialto and Metro) is yet another.

Lauded Shakespearean actor Sir Michael Gifford (Brian Cox) has Parkinson's and needs around-the-clock support, but he loathes having to rely on strangers.

His daughter, Sophia (Emilia Fox), tries to be helpful, but he rejects her attempts.

The latest in a long line of carers is Dorottya (Coco Konig), a young Hungarian actress wishing to get into a British drama school but needing to improve her English first.

The first half of the movie unfolds exactly as you would expect: they clash, they bond over Shakespeare and Sir Michael starts to do things he has not attempted in years.

Where The Carer really becomes compelling is when Sir Michael starts to use Shakespeare to express his own feelings.

As he rages at Sophia using the words of Lear, I found myself totally bewitched by the power of Cox's performance.

So should you feel ripped off because the writer gives up on creating fresh meaningful dialogue and hands things over to the Bard?

Not really because otherwise how would you find out how blooming marvellous Cox is at bringing the verse to crackling life.

Cox is an actor who is still best known for being the first actor to play Hannibal Lecter on film.

Now after seeing The Carer I am desperate for someone to film Cox's Lear.

It would be amazing.

- Christine Powley 

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