Review of The Yellow Handkerchief (2009) by Sergio E — 31 Dec 2010

It actually is a remake of.

Shiawase no kîroi hankachi (1977).

A well mixed cast William Hurt, Kristen Stewart, Maria Bello and Eddie Redmayne among others. Ex-convict Brett (Hurt) hitches a ride to New Orleans with two teenagers: Martine (Stewart) and Gordy (Redmayne). All three are lost and looking for someone to care.

The actors hold up brilliantly at this pace -- William Hurt is a standout and a more-than-worthwhile Oscar candidate as the sullen, "ghost"-like ex-con and Eddie Redmayne jumps to the fore as a bizarre, overgrown child. The scenery and the pull of post-Katrina New Orleans is powerful, forcing personal choices and sticking in the back of our minds.

A perfect crescendo. During an admittedly slow first half of the film, the audience is drawn in to the actors and the cajun background, its lush greenery and its languid place in Louisiana.

Martine (Kristen Stewart), Gordy (Eddy Redmayne), and Brett (William Hurt) set out on an unplanned road trip through Louisiana in order to scatter their individual demons along the way, the unexpected happens. They get to know one another through reflection and observation, and Brett's deep dark past life with May (Maria Bello) begins to surface and spill over into the present. As a result, the scarred and rough layers of these three characters begin to peel away like sandstones washed in the ocean. What we are left with is three individuals who were worlds apart on the surface and through circumstance and chance realize that they are not really that different. So they band together in order to face their pasts head on and pick up the pieces of their broken lives.

The Performances - Kristen Stewart plays Martine, a whimsical teenager who clearly has both judgment and abandonment issues due to her less than present father. Kristen, Oh that lovely face, pulls you in from the first sighting! You immediately long to know Martine's story, what brought her to this moment and she has not even said a word! It's all in her facial expressions and body language. Sure anyone could play a 15 year-old with issues, but the difference is Kristen makes you believe in Martine. You or I could know this girl! We could be this girl. Kristen breathed life into an otherwise less than noteworthy character!

Eddy Redmayne (Gordy) is very convincing as an awkward young man whose mind has not caught up with his age. I read somewhere that his role is slightly reminiscent of Forest Gump and I would have to agree. His motto: "Live!".

William Hurt (Brett), well what can I say, he delivers as usual. His humble demeanor and genuine care for these two young people satisfies the part of him that longs for what he has lost and at the same time provides both Martine and Gordy's character with a present parental figure that they both desperately cleve to. But there is a dark side to his character and William plays them both well.

Maria Bello (May) is a mere memory throughout the film. But don't be fooled! Maria's performance keeps her at the forefront of your psyche.

Ever notice that many of the movies out today have the main character as coming out of prison? It does open up all kinds of possibilities. Well, that is what we have here. I would say there could have been some uncomfortable moments with these three, but not to worry. It's all good. And, this is Brett's story and the kids get him to reveal it as they trek to New Orleans, and what a story it is.

The acting by all three was exceptional. Hurt's understated role spoke volumes and carried the movie. Stewart surprised me. Redmayne's character, while as obnoxious and annoying as the script called for, actually grew before our eyes. Redmayne showed he has range. And, Bello was sexy, beautiful and perfect as Brett's love interest.

What I found especially intriguing about this film is that I wasn't really sure if Brett was running away from something, running towards something, running in circles, or simply running in place like he was doing for the past 6 years for obvious reasons. It wasn't until Brett's flashbacks revealed the details concerning his manslaughter charges--proving that this was just an accident involving a good Samaritan who interceded while Brett and May argued outside a bar. It turned out, in the heat of passion, Brett shoved this man as he tried to get between he and his wife. As this man falls backward, he falls and hits his head on a fire hydrant causing him to die on the spot. While Martine and Gordy joked about Brett being an axe murderer, they were both certain he was innocent. In fact, even after Brett revealed this incident, they continued to look up to Brett as a father figure. Although Brett was the one who demanded the divorce, we would also learn of his undying love for May as the journey reached full-circle in the movie as well as in my mind. Tears began to well up in my eyes as Brett revealed to Martine and Gordy exactly what he wrote on the postcard which he sent to May. He spilled out his guts by writing that if May wants him back she would put up the yellow sail on her sailboat, reminiscent of the song, "Tie a Yellow Ribbon 'Round the Old Oak Tree." While at first he was hesitant to go to May's house, Martine convinces him to go, telling him it's not about being selfish but rather about being weak. Gordy interjected that it would be a waste of gasoline if they went all this way only to turn back now, especially if you were to consider he was driving a gas guzzler, coupled with the rising petroleum prices during post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans.

One lazy afternoon in a backwater Louisiana town, Martine takes a leap into an unfamiliar convertible. The driver, Gordy, an awkward young itinerant who eyed her in the diner earlier, isn't displeased to find this pretty sylph in his front seat. Soon they meet Brett, a laconic, humble man just released from prison. Martine isn't keen on going solo with Gordy, and now it's raining cats and dogs, so she invites Brett along, and the unlikely trio sets out, each person unsure of the destination. What ensues is a journey through the lush green byways of rural Louisiana and into the depths of these characters' souls.

A road trip through Louisiana transforms three strangers who were originally brought together by their respective feelings of loneliness.