MovieChat Forums > Is Anybody There? (2009) Discussion > Predictable

Predictable

posted 15 years ago by dccallag
16 replies | jump to latest

I thought the plot was laboured and predictable and at times over-sentimental. There were a number of things, too, that didn't ring true for me about the time it was supposed to be happening in the mid-eighties - the black and white TV, the linguistic anomalies 'It was ace' and 'It was wicked' and the rapid decline of Michael Caine's character after most of the time appearing to be perfectly normal and in control of his faculties. We're told by Edward's mother that Caine is just another confused soul sent by Social Services and yet we see him arriving by himself in his camper van. Is this really plausible?

[–] ken-miller-4 15 years ago

I thought some of the same things, but given the family's financial state -- it's obvious they didn't have a lot of money -- they probably couldn't afford a new set. As far as the Alzheimer's goes, I've seen someone go through it, and it comes in waves, at least in the early stages. You're there, then you're not. So it was plausible that Caine's character was able to drive himself around, at least at the beginning.

On the linguistic anomalies, I got nothing. I was in my early 20s then, but unfortunately not in England.

As far as the predictable and over-sentimental aspect, I've got to disagree. In past films I've seen in this genre, either one or both of the parents are monsters -- not the case here at all. I was pretty surprised at the attempt to make everyone in this movie a real person as opposed to a caricature or stereotype. And there was nothing predictable about the gravesite scene. And Caine kissing the mother in the back seat? Are you kidding me? You actually saw that coming? This isn't a classic by any means, but I'm still glad I saw it.

One of Caine's best performances, if not his best ever, IMO.

[–] Ambrosia-I 15 years ago

I think the film could easily have become sickly and sentimental, but it was saved every time by its humour. I liked the way the old people were portrayed - not as saintly and full of wisdom, but as flawed, selfish human beings with their own foibles and problems. I was also surprised that it turned out Caine's character hadn't lived with his wife in an idealised, unrealistic marriage but that she had in fact divorced him because of his philandering. I thought that was a far from stereotypical portrayal of an old person's marriage.

[–] trevorwomble 15 years ago

Actually i thought it was a bit of a missed opportunity. Leslie Phillips was barely in it which was a shame because he can add so much class to a film. The same goes for Sylvia Sims. Basically i thought the film relied too much on the novelty of Michael Caine doing 'something a bit different'. I'm not being overtly critical as it was always going to be a difficult film to sell to the public but asides from a few nice touches such as setting it in on the north east coast of England (instead of London for once) or the hilarious bit when the magic act at the birthday party goes horribly wrong (made doubly funny by Peter Vaughan's superb reaction) and decent performances all round by the cast, it reminded me of a kitchen sink drama except instead of an angry young man it evolved around an angry old man. Still Kudos to the film-makers for making it in the first place, a very brave decision in light of the fact it was never going to set the box office alight.

And did anyone else notice that the film Edward and his dad go and see at the cinema was 'Back to the future' which was released in 1985, yet the setting is supposed to be 1987?

[–] Noir-It-All 15 years ago

It may have taken a couple of years for Back to the Future to reach NE England. Wide release may have still been a new way to distribute films in the 1980's in this country.

"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

[–] andyg35 15 years ago

I'm pretty sure I'd never heard 'wicked' used in that way by the mid eighties, but in Oldham we were using 'ace' and had been for years.

Maybe it's a Northern thing...

AndyG

[–] Krustallos 15 years ago

I tend to think that it had good parts but was flawed overall. Despite an excellent performance from Caine, very strong support and some great individual moments, for me it somehow failed to flow properly as a story. I'm not sure if that was down to the writing or the directing.

I used to want to change the world. Now I just want to leave the room with a little dignity.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] andyg35 15 years ago

Two of us on the internet...blimey !

AndyG

[–] To_My_Mother 15 years ago

Life Is predictable.

[–] Dutch_Schaeffer 15 years ago

They had a colour tv, only the small one upstairs was black and white

[–] Xcalat3 15 years ago

no it isn't

When there's no more room in hell, The dead will walk the earth...

[–] The_Dying_Flutchman 14 years ago

Yes it is. First yer born, then after awhile you die except, of course, for you who are a phony vampire dork.

Nothing is more beautiful than nothing.

[–] Errington_92 14 years ago

Although I do agree that the film was predictable in terms of Clarence's death, I did like the way in which it was presented to the viewer. Clarence wearing black was a sign that he was dead but not in the actual sense, he was stuck between life and death therefore causing him to be in limbo.

"T'ank you veddy much!"

(Formerly The_godfather_06, Godfather_07 & Mr_Martini_08)

[–] badblokebob 14 years ago

I personally didn't find it laboured, too predictable or over-sentimental -- sentimental, yes, but an appropriate amount. But there you go, horses for courses.

As for the bits that didn't ring true... We had a black & white TV well into the '90s, and we were middle-class Southerners, so it strikes me as just fine they'd've still had one in 1987, especially as it could just've been a result of the bad reception. The linguistic anomalies seem OK too -- look, for example, at the character of Ace in Doctor Who at the time this film was set, who described things as "wicked" all the time. Unless you mean those expressions were already outdated by the end of the '80s, in which case perhaps -- I've always got the impression Ace was a mistake & deemed to be a bit out of touch.

I'm not sure about Caine's decline though. It's certainly true that such illnesses can happen at various speeds -- some suffer for years while others face a fairly speedy fall -- but I don't know specifics. He shows signs through most of the film though, they just become more pronounced later on; and, in fairness, the timeline is fudged a bit towards the end of the film -- there could be several weeks or months between some of the events we see.

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Prismark10 10 years ago

Morrisey's hair and fashion certainly was a throwback to the 1980s, I expected Harry Enfield to pop up at any minute.

Its that man again!!