Review of Flashbacks of a Fool (2008) by John T — 16 Oct 2008

In my adolesence there where two " Coming of age" movies that had a massive impact on me . One was "Gregory's girl" and the other was a stunning little movie called "P'tang, Yang, Kipperbang" ( see Below) . Both were British films made in the early eighties and both had a very influential affect and on how I look at things today . ( I urge my American friends to try to get hold of both movies if they can) So it's strange that twenty years later a film can come along and have a similar affect on me today , as it did then , a month before I hit the big 40.

Joe Scot (Daniel Craig) is a washed up Hollywood star, whose hedonistic lifestyle of sex, drugs, and celebrity has taken its toll. Handsome even in his drugâ??addled 40s, he leads a directionless, lonely life in his opulent Malibu mansion whilst outside the tide of public opinion has turned firmly against him. Only when confronted by tragedy is he forced to face up to the ghosts of his past.

Flashback to 1970's England and small town life set to the beat of Roxy Music and Bowie. Joe's rites of passage as a young man (Harry Eden) in a tiny British seaside community lay the foundations for the Hollywood dream he goes on to experience. His budding sexuality, his boyhood camaraderie, the untoward advances of a voluptuous older woman, and his teenage actions lead to unforeseen, tragic consequences, which will ultimately force him to flee in search of a new life.

A melancholic look at one man's life and how the choices he made as a young man would go on to effect his later years as a beaten and forgotten Hollywood star.

Forget that the lead actor is Daniel Craig . It really does not matter that " bond" is in the lead role because he is only a small fraction of what makes this film what it is is .

Flashback of a Fool is definitely one of my movies of the year and the credit has to go to the director and writer Baillie Walsh .

This film is beautifully shot and looks stunning both on the east coast of America and in countryside of England.

Seldom have I seen so many stunning acting displays in one film and special mention must go to Harry Eden who plays a young Joe Scot and Claire Forlani who plays Ruth Davies and Daniel Craig is superb too, in fact all three's performances had me close to tears.

Regular reader of my blogs will know that I can be quite critical of some of the movies I review but in this case I cannot find a bad word to say about it .

This is a must see movie!

10 out of 10.