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Comedy drama set in a seaside town in 1980s England, depicting the unusual friendship between a lonely ten-year-old, Edward (Bill Milner), and retired magician Clarence (Michael Caine). Growing up in the inauspicious setting of the old people's home run by his distracted parents (Anne-Marie Duff and David Morrissey), the inquisitive Edward spends his time tape-recording the elderly residents in an attempt to learn about death, a subject by which he is endlessly fascinated. His life changes with the arrival of the irrascible, embittered Clarence, who becomes part of Edward's ongoing quest to untangle the mysteries of mortality.
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47 of 48 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Edward is fed up. Stuck in a run down retirement home run by his parents in the mid 80's he finds his room being occupied by wrinklies who are not long for this world. Young Edward helps pass the time by recording the old 'uns sleeping in the hope he will catch one dying and thus find out what happens when we die. Into the home comes grumpy old curmudgeon Clarence,(Caine), who takes a dislike to just about everyone but eventually takes Edward under his wing. Clarence was a magician and it's through his sleight of hand tricks and magic show that he helps Edward see the bigger picture, stop worrying about death and in return Edward helps him face his own end.
This manages to avoid all the usual problems that come with this type of film. Theres no mawkishness, this is really pretty grim stuff, every laugh,(and theres a lot), is counterbalanced by a sad moment. For a change we are not bombarded by an endless soundtrack of 'music of the era' but rather a melancholy saw whines away and lends a very grim atmosphere.
Caine is up there with the best when he gets a script he likes. He is totally convincing as the lonely old man, regretting his past so much that he is fighting the inevitable end his rapidly worsening dementia is swiftly bringing. He swings from old grump with a quick blast of "bugger off!" to reaching out to help Edward to lost and bewildered seamlessly and with ease. Understated and yet a commanding presence in every scene he is in. Bill Milner as Edward does a great job of keeping up with his illustrious acting partner as he lends believability to his fed up but feisty boy trying to get to grips with his life. The two work together very well and at no point can you see either of them 'acting' it's all very natural.... Read more ›
This manages to avoid all the usual problems that come with this type of film. Theres no mawkishness, this is really pretty grim stuff, every laugh,(and theres a lot), is counterbalanced by a sad moment. For a change we are not bombarded by an endless soundtrack of 'music of the era' but rather a melancholy saw whines away and lends a very grim atmosphere.
Caine is up there with the best when he gets a script he likes. He is totally convincing as the lonely old man, regretting his past so much that he is fighting the inevitable end his rapidly worsening dementia is swiftly bringing. He swings from old grump with a quick blast of "bugger off!" to reaching out to help Edward to lost and bewildered seamlessly and with ease. Understated and yet a commanding presence in every scene he is in. Bill Milner as Edward does a great job of keeping up with his illustrious acting partner as he lends believability to his fed up but feisty boy trying to get to grips with his life. The two work together very well and at no point can you see either of them 'acting' it's all very natural.... Read more ›
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By R. Jackson
Format:DVD
Never Laughed so much , First saw it at the Cinema, The whole audience was in uproar. Michael Caine at his best, also the boy who plays Edward(Bill Milner) is a fine actor for his age, also some old faces.Very touching in parts.
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful
By Cactus
Format:Blu-ray
This is a lovely little film which is lifted from being just nice and fluffy by the wonderful Michael Caine. It's about a friendship between an old man and a young boy who's obsessed with what happens to people after they die. This is a touching, well made movie, although it takes a bit of time to get going; the first 20 minutes or so seem a bit of a mess, while an attempt is made to establish all the characters and a back story; which for a film that clocks in at little over 90 minutes is a bit excessive. This isn't a film that's probably ever going to change anyone's life, but for an hour or so it will make you feel happy, sad, cry, laugh and maybe value life a little more. There are some genuinely emotionally powerful moments in it and its subject matter and Michael Caine's portrayal of his character prevent it from being the lightweight `eccentric British comedy' it could easily have turned out to be. (My mother died less than a year ago, so perhaps I'm still a bit sensitive to seeing old people in homes, dying and becoming senile.) It has Leslie Phillips in it too, who, playing exactly the same character as he does in every film he's ever been in, appears to look much the same as he used to in black and white in the 1960s. (Except now in colour, obviously). He also gets to deliver the funniest line. This is a film well worth watching, probably best with someone you care for, (which for someone like me with no friends is a bit difficult). Despite there being one scene with a cat in it, Penny (my cat) steadfastly refused to watch any part of it, instead sitting with her back to the screen the whole time. So it's unfortunately not a great film to put on if you have a group of cats to entertain.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Set in a rather improbable Residential Home for the "Elderly" (a word I hate), this is a boy's-eye view of old people, aging, and the sheer bone-aching misery of growing up surrounded by the very old, with parents who are run into the ground by the demands of Care - this is not a home which would pass any Social Services inspection in terms of staffing levels. 11-year-old Edward (Bill Milner, withdrawn and resentful) copes with this by retreating into a morbid obsession with ghosts, the afterlife, and especially with the moment of death when the soul leaves the body - or does it?
Into his life comes Clarence (Michael Caine), retired magician, dragged kicking and screaming into institutional care, and equally truculent and withdrawn. Clarence is particularly obsessed with the loss of his wife, and the sense of loneliness in him and in Edward is overwhelming. The rest of the film is the development of their relationship from mutual loathing to mutual affection, with Clarence becoming the grandfather lacking in Edward's life. In this journey, both characters learn to engage with the world - Edward for the first time, Clarence to re-engage, and come out of retirement for a show for Edward's birthday party.
This optimistic scenario is clouded by Clarence's increasing memory failure, which culminates dramatically in a trick which goes disastrously wrong, in a bleakly comic way. Clarence's final decline is skipped over, the pitiless demands of Alzheimer's being ignored in favour of leaving a positive image in the boy's mind..
What I really like about this film is the insistence that old age, extreme old age, is not about dying or waiting to die, but about living.... Read more ›
Into his life comes Clarence (Michael Caine), retired magician, dragged kicking and screaming into institutional care, and equally truculent and withdrawn. Clarence is particularly obsessed with the loss of his wife, and the sense of loneliness in him and in Edward is overwhelming. The rest of the film is the development of their relationship from mutual loathing to mutual affection, with Clarence becoming the grandfather lacking in Edward's life. In this journey, both characters learn to engage with the world - Edward for the first time, Clarence to re-engage, and come out of retirement for a show for Edward's birthday party.
This optimistic scenario is clouded by Clarence's increasing memory failure, which culminates dramatically in a trick which goes disastrously wrong, in a bleakly comic way. Clarence's final decline is skipped over, the pitiless demands of Alzheimer's being ignored in favour of leaving a positive image in the boy's mind..
What I really like about this film is the insistence that old age, extreme old age, is not about dying or waiting to die, but about living.... Read more ›
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Quite What You'd Expect but Very Entertaining
This sort of movie is not quite what I'd expect from Michael Caine, but I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone. Its a bit 'real life' but that's not a complaint. Read more
Published 1 month ago by H. Joberns
5.0 out of 5 stars
Michael Caine at his best
An excellent movie showing all the talents of a great star. Has something for everyone - humour, pathos and drama in a very thought provoking and enjoyable story ... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Kaye H.
5.0 out of 5 stars
great
Even tho I am not a fan of michael caine as he's not a good actor I have to admit this is a really funny film if somewhat sad at the end.The other actors are excellent.
Published 2 months ago by merlin
5.0 out of 5 stars
Funny, touching and great
This film is very funny, touching and has some outstanding performances in it-Leslie Philips is great as the old folks home lothario and the central performances of Bill Milner and... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Andy Clambake
2.0 out of 5 stars
Dissapointing expected more
I watched this film and found halfway through I wanted to switch it off it just did not do it for me it was very lacking and could have been much better if thought about within the... Read more
Published 3 months ago by septimus-blake
3.0 out of 5 stars
dissapointing
This DVD was recommended to me as being very good, however I found it to be very disappointing viewing. Sorry !
Published 18 months ago by Isabel
5.0 out of 5 stars
IS ANYBODY THERE ? DVD
Although this was set in a care home for the elderly, it was very entertaining and extremely well acted by all the characters. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Honeybunny17
5.0 out of 5 stars
For those who appreciate acting at its best.
Most of the media reviewers were luke warm about this movie. They didn't so much pan it, just niggled about it, which is a shame as it deserved much better and demonstrates how... Read more
Published on 3 Jan 2011 by Ausborn
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Film, feel-good
I bought this film as my mum and I missed it at the cinema. It is a beautifully written story, very touching, and overall quite a nice feel good film with a few laughs. Read more
Published on 23 Nov 2010 by Soo
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful!
Michael caine just seems to get better with age and this film is wonderfully funny and sad and so true to life. I caught a clip of this film. Read more
Published on 15 Nov 2010 by Jazz
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