Review of The Remains of the Day (1993) by Sanity Assassin ! — 24 Dec 2009

For a brief twenty seconds Family Guy mercilessly rips this fine film, like so many others, and while I chuckled with my mates, my mind was screaming 'YOU DONT GET IT!'...But, I do understand. This film, while lovingly crafted with period and social detail is the prince of understated film making at its finest.

And some people will find it dreadfully dull. However, to me, it's the epitome of 'british' craft. Set with the world war two threatening to break in the background, Remains focuses on butler Stevens (Hopkins), the loyal servant to Lord Darlington (Fox), who reflects on the past few years of his life.

His work for his employer is everything to him, to the point that the man has no real life of his own. This comes into slow, diluted focus when the fiery and emotionally open Miss Kenton (Thompson) takes residence as head housekeeper.

Thompson as always brings class and warmth to her role, and the supporting cast (Christopher Reeve, Hugh Grant et all) all give outstanding performances. But, excellent adaptation and direction aside, this is Hopkins film.

It seems almost wearying to heap praise on how splendid an actor the man is, and despite his sometimes jarring spiral into ham (Silence of the Lambs, Bram Stokers Dracula) this as well as The Elephant Man gives us a full on lesson on how to master the art of screen acting.

From the problems with his father to his employers almost tragic political views and class descent, Stevens never complains, and Hopkins plays him as a man who by the end of the film is full of regret, but does it without even uttering a sigh.

One of the greatest scenes in all of cinema, where Miss Kenton 'invades' this fiercly private mans study and edges closer to him to see what book he is reading is one to which all films should measure.

Hopkin's utters nothing, just standing there against the wall, as the flickering fireplace throws light on his face and his eyes scream with longing, sadness and need for this women. It is a moment of true, raw emotional beauty that has yet (in my opinion) to be beaten.

Be warned, this is no romantic comedy, and the ending will leave you like the man, heartbroken, pondering, but determined to go about the rest of your life the only way you know how.