A Merry War is an unusual product for the movie industry. It emphasizes the value of something normally portrayed as a vice by Hollywood: conformity. The movie also attempts to define the role of work in the human life, extracting labor from the romantic context many have placed it in and showing that such romanticism, aside from being unpractical, inevitably breeds discontent.
The film is based on a work by George Orwell and contains a good deal of subtle satire as well as obvious jests. The acting is professional and the direction decent. The film does move a bit slowly in parts, but overall it is a very pleasant work to watch and has the advantage of being unique. You will find a limited amount of movie conventions here, and you will encounter practical yet courageous characters who choose marriage rather than abortion, conformity and prosperity rather than poverty and romantic self-abnegation.
Running Time: 101 minutes. Released 1998. Rated PG-13.
My Life So Far
My Life So Far is inspired by the book Son of Adam by Dennis Forman, the former director of the Royal Opera House, and it is based on his real life experiences. Although very saddening in parts, the film ultimately ends happily and is interspersed with many humorous moments.
My Life So Far depicts a couple's tested marriage through the eyes of their ten year old son, who is himself "coming of age." The film treats the subjects of sexual temptation and religious hypocrisy with high seriousness. It delivers a message of "judge not lest ye be judged," reminding the viewer that it is a hypocrite who tries to remove the speck in his brother's eye while failing to perceive the beam that is in his own. The movie ultimately concludes by elevating the importance of the family.
The film is somewhat marred by the random appearances of a hairy man and a French pilot, two characters who are never developed, as well as by a failure to fully explain why a main character, Edward Pettigrew, should be so suddenly and fully drawn in by temptation. Furthermore, the element of repentance is too understated in the movie.
Despite these flaws, however, My Life So Far still gives us a sensitive treatment of serious themes. All too many reviewers have referred to the film as nothing more than a sort of nostalgic fluff piece. I thought rather that (flaws notwithstanding) it delivered just the kind of depth one does not generally expect from the film industry. Colin Firth, who plays Edward Pettigrew, is an extremely talented actor, and although his performance at first appears slightly affected, by the end of the film, his character becomes very real to the viewer.
My Life So Far is also an inviting period piece, showing beautiful scenes of 1920's Scotland. The PG-13 rating is necessitated by the many sexual themes that are explored (though never graphically). At any rate, the film is for an adult audience and is likely to be little appreciated by children or teenagers. For a drama that is not run-of-the-mill, I recommend My Life So Far.
Running Time: 93 minutes. Released 1999. Rated PG-13.