Review of Felicia's Journey (1999) by Alison O — 25 Jul 2005

Best in Show: Elaine Cassidy.

One for the future: Bob Hoskins.

Stand-out scene: Felicia awaking after sedation.

Brainer or no-brainer: Brainer.

Stands up to one viewing or repeated?: Repeated.

DVD commentary any good?: n/a.

TV.

Two things drew me to this movie; firstly I loved Atom Egoyan's The Sweet Hereafter and secondly, its Birmingham setting. Although Bob Hoskins' accent wavered and there were too many Black Country accents purported to be Brummie, it was refreshingly novel to see a movie with locations I recognise (I work in the shadow of the Telecom Tower that is shown early on). Although it doesn't trounce my claim to fame that the property I used to live is glimpsed in the background during The 51st State, seeing places like Digbeth coach station and objects like a West Midlands Travel bus enhanced my viewing pleasure. Indeed I can't recall seeing another film with such a setting and a rudimentary search on imDB reveals that the only other movie i've seen with a similar setting was Bhaji on the Beach, and that offered no 'landmarks' to savour. With the screenplay developed by Egoyan himself from a novel by William Trevor the plot is never short of utterly intriguing. Felicia is a young Irish girl who fell pregnant by her boyfriend whilst in the land of her birth. When stories spread that her beau doesn't work in a lawnmower parts factory but rather has enlisted in the British army, Felicia is shunned by her own family. Travelling to Birmingham with money she has 'borrowed' from her bedridden grandmother, she aims to track down her fella and reveal her news about the baby in the hope that they can set up a life together. On her day of arrival, she embarks on a search of local factories in pursuit of her paramour during which she encounters Hilditch, seemingly a kindly old man willing to help her in her quest. It soon emerges however, that Hilditch is not all he seems, his interest in proto-TV chef Gala slowly revealing itself to be deep-seatedly obsessional. Despite his accent inaccuracies, Hoskins inhabits his role convincingly, but it's the naive vulnerability that Elaine Cassidy (the mute servant in The Others) brings to her role that impresses the most. Excellent. More please, mighty Atom!