This British film as an entry in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, when I read the title I assumed it was another foreign language film, I obviously never would of heard about it if it wasn't for the book, but I was going to watch it, directed by Terence Davies (The Deep Blue Sea). Basically the film is set in the 1940s and early 1950s in Liverpool, and focuses on the life of a working-class Catholic family, and the story is split into two parts, "Distant Voices" and "Still Lives". The first part, Distant Voices, focuses on grown up siblings Eileen (Angela Walsh), Maisie (Lorraine Ashbourne) and Tony (Dean Williams), and their Mother (The Omen's Freda Dowie), mourning the death of the Father (Pete Postlethwaite). In childhood, during wartime, the three siblings lived under a domineering patriarchal regime with the Father, young Eileen (Sally Davies) has happy memories, but young Maisie (Susan Flanagan) and young Tony (Nathan Walsh) have troubled memories as the easily angered Father brutally beat his wife and children. Following the funeral of the Father, the family finally have a happier occasion, Eileen is getting married, but whereas the family and guests sing songs and enjoy themselves at the reception, Eileen cannot contain her emotions and breaks down hysterically grieving for her father. The second part, Still Lives, two years have passed, it is few years before rock 'n roll and The Beatles take over the music scene, the three siblings have settled with their own separate lives, but they are not all happy, for Eileen the only happiness she experiences, escaping her drab existence, is in the pub with her friends having sing-songs. Also starring Marie Jelliman as Jingles, Brookside's Michael Starke as Dave, Vincent Maguire as George, Antonia Mallen as Rose, Debi Jones as Micky, Chris Darwin as Red, Andrew Schofield as Les and Pauline Quirke as Doreen. This film is an autobiographical film from director Davies, Postlethwaite in his short time on screen is really convincing as the short-fused father, there is no story as such, it is mostly a series of family gatherings and lots of sing-songs in the pub and other locations, counteracting the disturbingly realistic beatings and domestic violence, and the consequences of them, this is a worthwhile drama. Very good!
Review of Distant Voices, Still Lives
