Review of Evelyn (2002) by J D — 30 Mar 2008

All right, I'll say it. It's heartwarming. That's right, it warms the heart. No cynicism, maybe a little Hallmarkish at times, but just one of those movies that makes you sad, makes you angry, and finally makes you happy.

In the roles I've seen of his, Pierce Brosnan either plays a variation of his James Bond character or a character lampooning and/or winking at such. This is the first movie I've seen him in where he plays something other than a sophisticated (or pretending to be sophisticated like in "The Matador") man of the world.

Here he's just a working class Irishman trying to get his kids back. And danged if he doesn't pull it off. Julianna Margulies pulls off a believable Irish brogue, and Stephen Rea is always a pleasure to watch, as is Aidan Quinn, who plays a familiar role of the stoic good guy.

Of course with a title like "Evelyn", the picture really hinges on the title character, and luckily Sophie Vavasseur turns in a, yes, heartwarming performance. She's a young adult in a little girl's body, but not in a creepy Dakota Fanning type of way, just a no-nonsense girl whose daddy raised her right.