A Spot of Bother

Author(s): Brian
Location: Arizona

"A Spot of Bother"

Directed by Stephen Frears
Written by Mark Haddon
Based on the Novel by Mark Haddon
Music by Stephen Warbeck
Produced by Tracey Seaward and Mike Newell

Principal Cast:

Bob Hoskins (George Hall)
Brenda Blethyn (Jean Hall)
Kate Winslet (Katie Hall)
Ewan McGregor (Jamie Hall)
Jude Law (Ray)
Gary Oldman (David Symmonds)
Clive Owen (Tony)
Craig Ferguson (Graham)
[A Toddler] (Jacob)

Tagline: "What Cup of Tea are You?"

Synopsis: This witty, yet painfully unoptimistic British drama-comedy, based on the critically acclaimed novel by Mark Haddon (author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time) is about the Halls: an upper-class English family struggling through domestic life. The focus is on George, who has just turned 61 and is stumbling through his first year of retirement. He is convinced that what doctors say is eczema is in fact cancer, and that trying to cure it is pointless. These attitudes generally reflect the type of person he is in all areas of life: the mentality that he’s right and everyone else is wrong. But what is concerning him more than that is his daughter, Katie, who has been married and had a baby, Jacob, with a slob named Graham, is about to wed the equally horrific Ray. With all of that going on, George is completely oblivious that his wife, Jean, has been having a long affair with his former co-worker David Symmonds. To make matters even more confusing, George’s son, Jamie, thinks that his father is still insecure about his homosexuality because he is asked not to bring his boyfriend, Tony, to Katie’s wedding. We watch the tortured lives of the Halls, misfortune after misfortune and heartache after heartache, but we can’t help laughing all the way through. And George becomes the most complex, yet still whimsically funny character one could imagine, as his mind slowly deteriorates.

What the press would say:

Stephen Frears, director of “High Fidelity”, has created a comedy masterpiece. Directing this film is his purpose in life. And, if I may say so myself, that’s a pretty great purpose. “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” was supposed to be released before this, but because of casting and script problems with that, author Mark Haddon decided to work on his less popular, more recent novel’s adaptation first. This film is a perfect mixture of emotional drama, combined with classic British adult humor, written by none other than Haddon himself. What really stands out here, though, is Bob Hoskins’ breathtaking and wise performance as the amazing character of George. Although many people took this film’s comedy label and tossed it out of Oscar consideration, Bob Hoskins will likely still be nominated (and deserve to win) for this stunning performance. Some of his best scenes include when he discovers about his wife’s affair, when he is trying on some makeup to hide his eczema (or, as he thinks, cancer) marks and when he is preparing for his daughter’s wedding, all of which take place when he is at a mentally unstable stage. Brenda Blethyn, one of the world’s most underrated actresses, is also breathtaking as Jean, George’s unfaithful wife. She takes a part that easily could have ruined the film, and makes it one of the strongest points with her use of subtly. Although Kate Winslet was hesitant to take the role of Katie, she masters the part with poise and wit. Her character is an amazing one, and she makes us love her even more. And, last but not least, Gary Oldman’s performance is downright wonderful as David Symmonds, a usually timid man who ends up having an affair with one of his closest friends and former colleague’s wife. After sweeping last year’s BAFTA’s (the film was originally not going to be released in America, and ended up finding a distributor one year late), consider this dramadey masterpiece a surefire contender come awards season.

FYC:

Best Picture (Tracey Seaward and Mike Newell)
Best Director (Stephen Frears)
Best Actor (Bob Hoskins)
Best Supporting Actor (Gary Oldman)
Best Supporting Actress (Brenda Blethyn, Kate Winslet)
Best Adapted Screenplay (Mark Haddon)
Best Film Editing
Best Costume Design