Is Anybody There?

Is Anybody There? is Irish Director John Crowley's third film after the impressive "Intermission" and "Boy A". Our screenings of Is Anybody There? attracted a total audience of 565 and the proceeds of $1200 went to the Hamilton Out of the Cold Program. The consensus of the audience was extremely positive.

The casting was superb and was led by the incomparable veteran Michael Caine and newcomer Bill Milner whose only previous film was the wonderful indy "Son of Rambow". Written by Peter Harness, Is Anybody There? is loosely based on Peter's experiences as a youth in his parents' home for the elderly. It is an extremely humourous, yet insightful and poignant look at death and life from disparate viewpoints. Edward is a 10 year-old boy who has not experienced life because he is more curious about death and the afterlife, and Clarence is an elderly retired magician who has turned his back on life ready to depart this world.

Michael Caine stated in a Q&A following a screening at TIFF that this was one of his favourite roles and he accepted it upon reading the script which made him both laugh and cry. He went on to say that his wife (of 36 years) was moved to tears watching the film as this was one of the few times that he had played a character who was clearly his age and approaching, not at all in very good shape, the last years of his life. Bill Milner is perfect as Clarence's foil and is in every respect Caine's equal with his outstanding performance. The supporting cast contains a "Who's Who" of Britain's finest veteran actors who were as delighted to work with Crowley, a respected director of theatre as he was to work with these grand actors of film and theatre. Edward's mom and dad are played perfectly by Anne-Marie Duff (a marvelous actress of film and stage and also James McAvoy's wife) and David Morrissey.

Though the themes are quite dark the interspersed humour lightens up the story leaving audiences with a emotionally satisfying look at life and death from both ends of the spectrum.

Julian D.