Poppy, it received a fair amount of coverage when it was released. I first learnt about it when it was screened at the London Film Festival where it had several great write-ups. It was later released in the Cinemas just before Christmas and I really wanted to go and see it but never found the time.
My initial curiosity and reasons for seeing it were rather macabre: In 2005, a friend of mine moved to Highgate and we made a date to go to Wood Green and explore Shopping City. I have quite a vivid memory of that day since Wood Green high street is quite run down and very ethnically mixed so we both had the sensation of being in a foreign country. London can be like that - very, very diverse in its districts. It shocks me to think that while we were there, Joyce lay dead in her bedsit undiscovered, decomposing. I can't imagine how her neighbours felt when they found out about it.
The other thing that struck me when watching the DVD was how restless and nomadic Joyce's life had been: She'd had addresses all over London: West, East, South of the River and finally North. That can be quite unusual as I've known Londoners who have spent their whole lives around one area. It seems that she was rootless and had no ties to any one particular place.
In Kidman's case, it's nice to see her lately immovable forehead participating in her performance - Rabbit Hole Review, Variety
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PoppyTransfusion
12 years ago
Yes but - the coverage was in the broadsheet press and independent cinemas. This was not a mainstream film and it did not receive such coverage in the UK. I saw the trailer at one of the Curzon cinemas where I eventually saw the film.
My initial curiosity and reasons for seeing it were rather macabre: In 2005, a friend of mine moved to Highgate and we made a date to go to Wood Green and explore Shopping City. I have quite a vivid memory of that day since Wood Green high street is quite run down and very ethnically mixed so we both had the sensation of being in a foreign country. London can be like that - very, very diverse in its districts. It shocks me to think that while we were there, Joyce lay dead in her bedsit undiscovered, decomposing. I can't imagine how her neighbours felt when they found out about it.
Did you have that feeling of a 'ghost walking over your grave' when you realised the timing of your visit with Joyce's death? I think the film has affected some in similar ways when they have realised how their lives might have intersected with Joyce's.
London is not only diverse but such a large city can contribute to loss of attachment and rootlessness as well as offering plenty of opportunities to hide and disappear.
A man chases a woman until she catches him
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