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verbicideI think one of my favorite movies of all time is Peter's Friends. Directed by Kenneth Branagh and starring everyone wonderful (Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Emma Thompson, Imelda Staunton). I have a slightly obsessive love for this 1992 movie which is about a group of friends coming back together for a New Year's Eve party after Peter's father has died. A British-y Big Chill, which has some of the best acting I've seen this group do.
Everyone's life is in disarray and the two outsiders to the group (Sarah's lover Brian and Andrew’s wife Carol) are awkward in a very understandable way--it's hard to join in a group that is very close to each other and has decades long history. I think my favorite scenes are between Hugh Laurie's Roger and Imelda Staunton's Mary, a couple whose lives have been shattered by the death of one of their twins, and their marriage hasn't quite recovered. They are so realistic and their intimacy and despair really comes across in their big fight scene and the follow-up scenes where they make strides toward recovery as people who genuinely love each other can--if they're lucky.
I relate intensely with Maggie, Emma Thompson's spinster-with-requisite-cat, who leaves pictures of herself around her flat for her kitty before leaving for the trip. A much overdue shag with the housekeeper's son buys her the much-needed confidence that can sometimes only be rejuvenated by great sex.
It's one of those movies where everyone's acting is so perfect that I don't really see them as anything other than their characters. Emma Thompson's mother does a great turn as the dour housekeeper, Vera.
The scenes starring Tony Slattery are irritating, but they are meant to be. Brian, Sarah's apparently-married lover, is a complete buffoon. But so much of this movie strikes chords with me from real life. Sometimes you date someone who is a complete tool, but this doesn't become obvious until you take him to meet your friends and you realize how embarrassed you suddenly are. And then you feel like an ass for being ashamed of the person you're with.
Things continue to deteriorate until Brian and Carol both leave, and the old friends are alone again and Peter's secret is finally revealed.
Anyhow, I love it and find myself in unrestrained awe at the subtlest of expressions. I think it is a bloody work of genius and it's underrated and everyone should love it as much as I do, goddammit.
Rewatching it was a brilliant idea, because I finally found the source of this quote that's been annoying me for ages, "This is a job, this is a job--well this is a marriage!" It was Carol (a Hollywood actress) talking about leaving early from the trip because she'd been offered a film. Replace job with film and that's the quote. It's been bothering me for a year!
And now I have to shower and bolt for Pacific Place!
Everyone's life is in disarray and the two outsiders to the group (Sarah's lover Brian and Andrew’s wife Carol) are awkward in a very understandable way--it's hard to join in a group that is very close to each other and has decades long history. I think my favorite scenes are between Hugh Laurie's Roger and Imelda Staunton's Mary, a couple whose lives have been shattered by the death of one of their twins, and their marriage hasn't quite recovered. They are so realistic and their intimacy and despair really comes across in their big fight scene and the follow-up scenes where they make strides toward recovery as people who genuinely love each other can--if they're lucky.
I relate intensely with Maggie, Emma Thompson's spinster-with-requisite-cat, who leaves pictures of herself around her flat for her kitty before leaving for the trip. A much overdue shag with the housekeeper's son buys her the much-needed confidence that can sometimes only be rejuvenated by great sex.
It's one of those movies where everyone's acting is so perfect that I don't really see them as anything other than their characters. Emma Thompson's mother does a great turn as the dour housekeeper, Vera.
The scenes starring Tony Slattery are irritating, but they are meant to be. Brian, Sarah's apparently-married lover, is a complete buffoon. But so much of this movie strikes chords with me from real life. Sometimes you date someone who is a complete tool, but this doesn't become obvious until you take him to meet your friends and you realize how embarrassed you suddenly are. And then you feel like an ass for being ashamed of the person you're with.
Things continue to deteriorate until Brian and Carol both leave, and the old friends are alone again and Peter's secret is finally revealed.
Anyhow, I love it and find myself in unrestrained awe at the subtlest of expressions. I think it is a bloody work of genius and it's underrated and everyone should love it as much as I do, goddammit.
Rewatching it was a brilliant idea, because I finally found the source of this quote that's been annoying me for ages, "This is a job, this is a job--well this is a marriage!" It was Carol (a Hollywood actress) talking about leaving early from the trip because she'd been offered a film. Replace job with film and that's the quote. It's been bothering me for a year!
And now I have to shower and bolt for Pacific Place!
