Review of Anywhere but Here (1999) by Thomas B — 05 Dec 2014

Teaming up two of my favourite actresses in a mother-daughter story, Anywhere but Here sounded like an unmissable spectacle of acting.

The story in Anywhere but Here is a pretty conventional one. The thing that makes it stand out from the countless other similar films is the fact that there is a role-reversal that goes on between the characters portrayed by Natalie Portman and Susan Sarandon. In contrast to the usual story about a free-spirited daughter and an overbearing mother, Anywhere but Here features a free-spirited mother and a constantly worrying daughter. You would think that this ends up being one of the best aspects of the story, but unfortunately it is not. It seems like an interesting concept for a while, but as the story progresses it wears off. Soon, both characters end up overly worried in one way or another with the free-spirited nature of Ann August ends up reduced to nothing more than a sense of irresponsibility which interferes with her attempts to deal with the world in a more serious fashion like her daughter. The role reversal in the film is not explored to its full potential which means that it doesn't take long before Anywhere but Here is reduced to its conventional sense of storytelling.

Anywhere but Here doesn't have much of a story at all. There isn't much of a consistency with the feature because the tale unfolds more like a series of segments with all kinds of different dramatic aspects popping up out of nowhere which bring no story development to the situation and are a lot more focused on trying to depict the way the film's main characters act in a variety of situations with no strong connection between them all or sense that the story is genuinely progressing. Anywhere but Here never really goes anyway with its tale which is a shame because the mother-daughter relationship depicted in the feature is a touching sentiment. The way that the two main characters in the story are presented and develop are some of the better elements of the film and the screenplay does make them strong figures, but when good characters are weighed down by a thin story and poorly structured storytelling then the potential for it to be really affecting is blunted. Anywhere but Here is a film with the best intentions which maintains a stylish directorial effort from Wayne Wang, but it ends up falling into many of the same basic cinematic conventions of countless other mother-daughter films which is slightly worse this time around as it actually defies some prime potential in the process. Anywhere but Here works in terms of style and characters, but it doesn't have a story which is original enough or structured well enough to honestly ensure that it comes out as strong in enough areas.

But the actual reason I watched the film, the performances of the two leading actors, was thoroughly astounding.

Natalie Portman is a wonderful lead in Anywhere but Here. At age 17, she manages to use the incredible acting talent that would later win an Academy Award to maximum potential. Tackling the serious coming of age themes in Anywhere but Here, Natalie Portman gives a performance with a lot of serious sophistication and exceptional acting talent for someone of such a young age. Natalie Portman shines in Anywhere but Here because she is so dedicated to the character and to bringing the realism out of the scene that she even manages to overshadow Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon. Natalie Portman manages to make a compelling effort in Anywhere but Here by using her fierce emotional involvement and strong line delivery to battle Susan Sarandon for the screen. Her level of humanity is nothing short of realistic and the impact she makes is powerful because the control she has over her emotions is incredible. Natalie Portman dedicates herself to every little element of the character Ann August, both physically and emotionally which gives the story a likable lead character who really manages to grasp the dramatic intentions of the experience, and so her Golden Globe nominated performance is one of the greatest early efforts.

Susan Sarandon also delivers a predictably powerful effort. While the writing in the film does not give her character any sense of consistency, she manages to keep up with it the entire time. At the start of the film, Susan Sarandon has a free spirited and light nature about her. Yet as it progresses, we see her gradually transition into a more serious person who comes to terms with what it truly means to be a mother. What she expresses is thoroughly touching and really likable because the love is all there while the subtext points out that it is largely blinded by her own self-indulgent wants. Either way she gets the character right by implementing in her own natural charismatic spirit the entire time. There is a lot of passion in her performance which illuminates the elements that make up her character as a mother and a determined woman while there are subtle elements that point out her less savoury elements as a person. Susan Sarandon is passionately energetic in the part and does a great job bringing the heart of her character out for audiences to see. Her line delivery is always on time and appropriately emotional, so she really reaches out to the other characters well.

The chemistry shared between these two actors is brilliant. There is a real sense of love shared between them as well as conflict which evokes a sense of realism and works as a powerful driving force in the film, and what they share is never overly sentimental or melodramatic. It proves effective in an entertainment sense and brings out the best of acting in both of them.

So Anywhere but Here benefits from the skilled performances of Natalie Portman and Susan Sarandon, but the conventional story is weighed down by a poorly structured series of events and less originality yet plenty of predictability.