Albatross
2012 Directed by Niall MacCormick
Synopsis
Beth, a bookish teenager, befriends Emilia, an aspiring novelist who has just arrived in town. Emilia soon begins an affair with Beth's father that threatens to have devastating consequences.
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Hooray, another uninspired British debut to add to the ever growing list! Albatross is a film that so desperately wants to be more than it is but suffers from crippling problems whether from the heavy handed title-as-metaphor to the uneven whimsical tone and waste of a good cast. Like François Ozon’s equally inconsistent but far more entertaining, Sitcom, the story is about an outsider who changes the lives of a family in crisis. That outsider comes in the shape of spirited and snarky, Emilia, an outwardly confident but unsure 17-year old girl. Emilia is not just a catalyst for change within the family but she too transforms over the course of the film.
One of the movie’s big problems is…
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A fantastic female cast outshine pretty much everything around them (except accomplished veteran Peter Vaughan) in experienced TV Director Niall MacCormick's inconsistently-toned drama, a sort of Wish You Were Here via Tamara Drewe.
Jessica Brown-Findlay and consistently TheBestThingInIt™ Felicity Jones excel by bringing thin characters vibrantly to life (even if one of them is playing 'the dowdy one'). Julia Ormond is notable support playing a tight-knit ball of matrimonial frustration and anger, all intense aspiration, not at all like a woman that ended up 'running' a B&B.
The plinky-plonk score is awful, the ploy hackneyed, the production and direction unremarkable and the fanciful ending a disappointment considering the main character's predicament is all self-imposed.
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I adore Felicity Jones, and she's as adorable as ever here as well. When it comes to Jessica Brown Findlay I haven't any prior knowledge, but I've heard good things. I do see where they come from...
Albatross is a mess. The whimsical tone is flickered on and off like a light-switch, but without knowledge of when to spend it. The premise is done before, and a lot better. I don't mind in general, as long as new attempts have an own voice and vision, or a purpose. This one lacks in all those departments, and a few others.
There are moments that salvage this movie from a total shipwreck, scenes and performances that makes it worth sitting through. Most…
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The story takes the background to the break out performance of Jessica Brown-Findlay. Coupled with Felicity Jones this had real potential to be a perfect 90 mins.
Jessica is the better one here, but Felicity is just too damn special to me.
All four major parts are well performed, I just wish the story wasn't as hollow and predictable. -
"Oooh, that's the girl from Downton," came the exclamation from my better half on wandering past me when I was watching this. True enough, Albatross does indeed feature Jessica Brown Findlay, more famous for the part of feisty Lady Sybil in the insanely popular ITV period drama than any of her other acting work to date. Additionally, the film stars Felicity Jones, an old hand in feature standards by the ripe old age of twenty-seven, having starred in Chalet Girl and been featured in Cemetery Junction to name but two.
This is the story of a young writer, Emilia (Findlay) and her relationship with a family that own a guest house on the Isle Of Man where she starts work…
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As prototypical an indie Brit flick as you could imagine, Niall MacCormick's directorial debut reeks of the maudlin quirk that comes about as the result of its failed attempts at whimsical poignance. The drama is far too heavy and the comedy too slight for anything to ever find a foothold in the emotions and carry the story—unremarkable as it is—to a successful end. Praise is due the cast, particularly the always charming Felicity Jones, for at least upholding proceedings with a serviceable deal of charisma. A slave to its ineffective sensibilities, it never quite delivers on the promise of meaningfulness its titular metaphor and keen sight on grand themes suggests. Not the worst of ways to spend its running time, though frightfully underwhelming.
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Brilliantly written. Fantastic story. Nothing more to say.
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A fantastic female cast outshine pretty much everything around them (except accomplished veteran Peter Vaughan) in experienced TV Director Niall MacCormick's inconsistently-toned drama, a sort of Wish You Were Here via Tamara Drewe.
Jessica Brown-Findlay and consistently TheBestThingInIt™ Felicity Jones excel by bringing thin characters vibrantly to life (even if one of them is playing 'the dowdy one'). Julia Ormond is notable support playing a tight-knit ball of matrimonial frustration and anger, all intense aspiration, not at all like a woman that ended up 'running' a B&B.
The plinky-plonk score is awful, the ploy hackneyed, the production and direction unremarkable and the fanciful ending a disappointment considering the main character's predicament is all self-imposed.
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Not too bad. Liked seeing Lady Sibyl as a little tart! Obnoxious soundtrack, but ah well.
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I adore Felicity Jones, and she's as adorable as ever here as well. When it comes to Jessica Brown Findlay I haven't any prior knowledge, but I've heard good things. I do see where they come from...
Albatross is a mess. The whimsical tone is flickered on and off like a light-switch, but without knowledge of when to spend it. The premise is done before, and a lot better. I don't mind in general, as long as new attempts have an own voice and vision, or a purpose. This one lacks in all those departments, and a few others.
There are moments that salvage this movie from a total shipwreck, scenes and performances that makes it worth sitting through. Most…
-
The story takes the background to the break out performance of Jessica Brown-Findlay. Coupled with Felicity Jones this had real potential to be a perfect 90 mins.
Jessica is the better one here, but Felicity is just too damn special to me.
All four major parts are well performed, I just wish the story wasn't as hollow and predictable. -
The biggest ounce of cheese goes to the compelling characters, kick- ass dialogues on the crust but direction is a lousy topping. Nevertheless an enjoyable film with something to watch for and that includes Felicity Jones (Like Crazy).
You’ll love the cheeky Emilia in skimpy nah, promiscuous Celtic- amazon-ish costume too much that a 5-year old wanna be like her.
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Little bit twee and saccharine with music that makes it feel a bit made-for-TV. But still it's mildly diverting and Jessica Brown Findlay is very watchable.
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Surprisingly real and uplifting. Good British film-making.
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A bookish teenager befriends a troubled girl emilia, there friendship blossoms only for emilia wildstreak to tear them apart