the Crown – Smaller Pictures

My Son (2021)

It’s always exciting when films try to do new things and Christian Carion’s latest film, My Son, has a unique approach that makes it intriguing to watch. The film follows Edmond (James McAvoy), a man whose job takes him all over the globe which has in turn made him an absent father. When his son, Ethan (Max Wilson) is kidnapped, Edmond has to take matters into his own hands to locate Ethan and bring him home safely before it’s too late. It’s not the plot that makes this film intriguing, however, but the approach that Carion took by refusing to supply McAvoy with a script beyond the basic facts regarding his character. This means that McAvoy genuinely had no idea what was going to happen or how the film was going to unfold, adding a layer of genuine emotion to his character. The simplicity of the plot and limited setting helps to aid this to ensure that McAvoy can really delve into his characterisation without feeling overwhelmed by complexity.

The film is written and directed by Christian Carion, who is best known for his Oscar-nominated film, Joyeux Noël, My Son is an English-language remake of his 2017 Mon garçon which also incorporated the experimental aspects of having the lead character make discoveries of his own without having a script to rely on. The direction of the film is highly intense with some brilliant contrasts as Carion blends vast Highland landscapes with close-ups to provide that sense of entrapment and claustrophobia reflecting Edmond’s feelings. The script and story is fairly simple in terms of what happens to Ethan, but this serves in the film’s favour as it never feels overwhelming or overcomplicated as crime films often do. While this means that the film can delve into a predictable nature, the intensity of the direction keeps the audience gripped throughout.

Leading the film is James McAvoy as Edmond and arguably, the film relies on McAvoy’s performance and the conviction that he brings to the character. As ever, he is fantastic in the role and proves to be the perfect choice for Edmond as he is able to play a deeply flawed character that the audience roots for. Edmond is hard-working but neglectful of his family, to the point where his ex-wife has started a new life with her partner, Frank (Tom Cullen), while Edmond rarely visits to see Ethan. It’s a performance that hinders on this heartbreak that he doesn’t spend time with his son, but the love that he has for him knows no bounds. The climactic scene in which Edmond searches a large house for his son and has to kill or injure the kidnappers is deeply intense as the house serves as a claustrophobic labyrinth. While this performance may not show the range that his turn in Split did or be as well-known as his turn in the X-Men franchise, McAvoy demonstrates yet again his ability to play flawed characters that the audience will get behind with ease in a role that seems tailor-made for him.

Supporting McAvoy is the incredible Claire Foy who is best known for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II in the first two seasons of Netflix’s The Crown. Her performance as Joan couldn’t be further from her turn as the Queen as she is able to showcase even more versatility. Joan is a character who has been burdened with the duty of bringing up Ethan without Edmond’s help, while also having to be Edmond’s cheerleader when he doesn’t turn up for his son. Foy’s performance provides plenty of nuances and it’s a shame that her character isn’t in the film even more. She perfectly brings all of Joan’s frustrations to the surface in a performance that is powerful and works well against McAvoy’s temperamental Edmond.

Laurent Perez del Mar’s score perfectly undercuts the film and draws out the thriller elements. Just as the film provides many twists and turns, the score is full of swooping strings and drawn-out notes that highlight Edmond’s frustration and confusion. The score feels as though it is in tune with Edmond and his emotions, becoming more intense as the film goes on. However, del Mar knows when to create subtlety such as the scene in which Edmond is sneaking around the lodge to say Ethan from the kidnappers. This contrast between loud, dramatic strings and quieter moments provides an unpredictability to the film.

My Son may not have the most complex plot and story, but the strong leading characters and intense direction make this a thrilling watch, even if it does lose a bit of momentum in its closing scenes. McAvoy is brilliant to watch, as always, and it’s great to see him in a film that relies as heavily on his performance as we are able to feel his character’s array of emotions as he figures out what has happened to Ethan. My Son should be commended for its unconventional approach to filming and hopefully, this will inspire even more creative experiments in the filming process.

What did you think of My Son? Let me know in the comments below!

My Son is available to view on Amazon Prime!

Pieces of a Woman (2020)

A little bit late watching this one but better late than never. Pieces of a Woman is the heartbreaking drama following Martha (Vanessa Kirby), a woman who loses her child during birth. Directed by Kornél Mundruczó and a script written by Kata Wéber, Pieces of a Woman is a film that is an absolute masterclass of acting by all involved. A really poignant portrayal of grief and how difficult it is to find closure from such a traumatic event. With supporting turns from Shia LaBeouf and Ellen Burstyn who play Martha’s partner, Sean and mother, Elizabeth, respectively, this film is not an easy watch by any means for obvious reasons but it is an intricate character study that feels authentic while shedding light on an issue that is commonly unspoken off due to taboo. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival where it received unanimous praise and Kirby walking away with the Best Actress prize. Scooped up by Netflix, Pieces of a Woman has been in the awards race for a while and eagerly awaiting its release.

The first thing to discuss is the opening half hour in which we see the excruciating birth scene in which Martha has a difficult labour with tragic result as the baby dies shortly after being born. With her original midwife caught up with another birth, replacement Eva (Molly Parker) steps in to assist Martha. This opening act is by far one of the most unflinching scenes I have come across as we see the whole birthing process from the relief when the baby is born to the tragic death a few moments later. The way it is directed is relentless without giving a moment to breathe to the point where the scene completely immerses the audience into its chaos. The physical pain of the situation is too much for Martha that she quickly becomes deranged and cannot control what she says or the sounds she makes. Knowing what the scene is going to result in and seeing that level of distress makes the experience of watching it even more devastating.

Kirby, previously known for her stellar performance as Princess Margaret in the first two seasons of The Crown, pulls out all the stops as grieving Martha. Her acting is on par with actors who have been giving decades of flawless performances. We feel Martha’s physical and emotional pain in the first act and that devastation as she comes to terms with what has happened. Although the film doesn’t have the same level of momentum as the first act, Kirby keeps us gripped as she delves into Martha’s inability to move on or seek help for her trauma. Initially Martha wishes to remove any proof that the baby even existed hoping that this will help her to move on to the next chapter but she feels pulled back by her family, especially her mother, who insists that they should hold a funeral for the baby before burying her. It’s clear that Martha wants to move on but just doesn’t know what to do in order to be able to. The scene in which she testifies at Eva’s trial and is forced to describe what her birthing experience was like is hugely intense with Kirby using that intensity to deliver her performance through movement and emotion and not just by her words.

In support we have Ellen Burstyn as Martha’s overbearing mother, Elizabeth. She clearly has Martha’s best interest at heart but she doesn’t allow her daughter to truly have space to grieve and this puts an enormous amount of friction on their relationship. Burstyn makes the most of the small role she has as is expected of her and proves to rise to Kirby’s leading performance. Her speech to Martha about her own birth and upbringing hammers home just how great Burstyn is. I would have liked to have seen more scenes between Elizabeth and Martha just to show more of their relationship dynamic rather than the limited arguments we see. I think that the film would have benefitted from seeing how they act around each other when things are more settled.

Overall, Pieces of a Woman may fall a little short in terms of keeping a steady momentum in the script following the incredible first act but the strong performances, particularly by Kirby make it a film to watch this coming awards season. I have no doubt that Kirby will lock in her first Academy Award nomination and hopefully this is a sign of a fruitful career for years to come.

What did you think of Pieces of a Woman? Let me know in the comments below!

Pieces of a Woman is available to stream now on Netflix.