Review of Evelyn (2002) by Alison O — 30 May 2004

I really needed this. A break from all those effects-abundant and mind-blowing blockbusters: [i]Taking Lives[/i], [i]Van Helsing[/i], [i]Troy[/i], and the recent [i]The Day after Tomorrow[/i]. They?re fun in a way, I guess; having your adrenaline rushing all around the body is exhilarating. But occasionally, a break or two is needed to stabilize one?s mental [i]weltanschauung[/i]. A good ol? movie of love and compassion, slow in pacing, yet still has that powerful effect to make you stop for a second and think, and value life for what it is. [i]Evelyn[/i] fits in that description nicely.

For what it?s worth, [i]Evelyn[/i] takes away the fanboy-ish fantasies in a science-fiction universe where limits are rather ambiguous, and places a real-life perspective of the daily problems and challenges in which we laymen can relate to.

Desmond Doyle, played by the ever-debonair English spy star Pierce Brosnan, is a normal man, married with three kids. His wife left him in the most inopportune time, the day after Christmas Eve, which, added with the fact he?s jobless, dramatically took away his rights to keep his children. Alas, Evelyn and her two brothers are sent to Christian dormitories, where they are being taught of the value of discipline. The hard way. Doyle, with the help of his just-acknowledged team of family law experts, struggles his way in court and public image to win back his children, even if it requires him to persuade a change in the constitutional laws.

Set in a mid-50?s Irish town, [i]Evelyn[/i] explores the values strongly adhered to at that time, a world where the Catholic Church still dominates political and social decisions. Brosnan played incredibly as a father figure to the three children. There are a lot of touching scenes where he impresses the audience with his kindness and love for Evelyn, in particular.

I had a lot to say, but words fail me. No doubt a 10/10. Biblical references are also appreciated, especially when it takes roots underlying the definite values that affect the norms adopted by the general society at that particular time period.