Hollow Reed (1996) Direction: Angela Pope Screenplay: Paula Milne Cast: Martin Donovan, Joely Richardson, Sam Bould, Ian Hart, Jason Flemyng, Annette Badland, Roger Lloyd-Pack Hollow Reed, the tale of a little boy loved by his gay father and abused by his hetero stepfather, was the winner of the Audience Award at the 1996 Dinard British Film Festival. That shouldn’t be surprising. After all, director Angela Pope and screenwriter Paula Milne squeeze every possible dramatic element the story could offer, from relentless closeups of young actor Sam Bould’s soulful face to a climactic bloody fight between the film’s warring dads. Most audiences love that. Personally, I believe that approach is perfectly fine as long as the filmmakers don’t take themselves too seriously [...]...
- 11/15/2009
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Martin Donovan, so good in the recent "The Portrait of a Lady", further impresses in the lead role of this British movie about a gay man's fight to rescue his son from his ex-wife's abusive boyfriend. Truly a family drama for the socially fractured '90s, "Hollow Reed" benefits from a well-written, insightful script, careful direction and excellent performances. The downbeat drama will be a tough sell commercially, however.
Donovan plays Martyn Wyatt, a soft-spoken doctor who lives in domestic tranquillity with his younger boyfriend Tom (Ian Hart). Martyn came to terms with his homosexuality shortly after the birth of his young son Oliver, and his ex-wife Hannah (Joely Richardson) is more than a little bitter about it. Now, she has custody of Oliver and lives with him and her new boyfriend, Frank (Jason Flemyng).
When Oliver suffers a series of "accidents" resulting in injuries, Martyn becomes suspicious about Frank. When the boy winds up with a broken hand, which he unconvincingly explains was caught in a car door, Martyn becomes convinced that his son is in danger. When he tries to convey his feelings to Hannah and she is less than receptive to what he has to say, he resorts to seeking custody through legal means.
Paula Milne's excellent screenplay effectively explores multiple social issues with sensitivity and intelligence and is a particularly powerful character study of multifaceted individuals wrestling with difficult emotional problems. There is a refreshing lack of judgment about the characters, and everyone, even the abusive Frank, is drawn with complexity. When Hannah discovers that Frank has indeed been abusing her son, she is horrified but fairly quickly decides to forgive him and trust him again. Her reaction may seem incongruous for a loving mother, but it is well-explained by her desperate refusal to admit to herself that she could have been so wrong about someone yet again.
All the performances are fine, with Donovan in particular doing work that is light years away from his stint with Hal Hartley. Richardson makes credible every aspect of her character's horrible predicament. Hart continues to impress with his versatility and range, and Flemyng manages to be scary and pitiable as the tortured Frank. Child actor Sam Bould is a real find. He delivers a heartbreaking, intense performance that seems utterly real and unaffected.
HOLLOW REED
Cinepix Film Properties
Director Angela Pope
Screenplay Paula Milne
Producer Elizabeth Karlsen
Executive producers Nik Powell
Stephen Woolley
Director of photography Remi Adefarasin
Editor Sue Wyatt
Original music Anne Dudley
Color/stereo
Cast:
Oliver Wyatt Sam Bould
Martyn Wyatt Martin Donovan
Tom Dixon Ian Hart
Hannah Wyatt Joely Richardson
Frank Donally Jason Flemyng
Doctor Razmu Shaheen Khan
Running time -- 106 minutes
No MPAA rating...
Donovan plays Martyn Wyatt, a soft-spoken doctor who lives in domestic tranquillity with his younger boyfriend Tom (Ian Hart). Martyn came to terms with his homosexuality shortly after the birth of his young son Oliver, and his ex-wife Hannah (Joely Richardson) is more than a little bitter about it. Now, she has custody of Oliver and lives with him and her new boyfriend, Frank (Jason Flemyng).
When Oliver suffers a series of "accidents" resulting in injuries, Martyn becomes suspicious about Frank. When the boy winds up with a broken hand, which he unconvincingly explains was caught in a car door, Martyn becomes convinced that his son is in danger. When he tries to convey his feelings to Hannah and she is less than receptive to what he has to say, he resorts to seeking custody through legal means.
Paula Milne's excellent screenplay effectively explores multiple social issues with sensitivity and intelligence and is a particularly powerful character study of multifaceted individuals wrestling with difficult emotional problems. There is a refreshing lack of judgment about the characters, and everyone, even the abusive Frank, is drawn with complexity. When Hannah discovers that Frank has indeed been abusing her son, she is horrified but fairly quickly decides to forgive him and trust him again. Her reaction may seem incongruous for a loving mother, but it is well-explained by her desperate refusal to admit to herself that she could have been so wrong about someone yet again.
All the performances are fine, with Donovan in particular doing work that is light years away from his stint with Hal Hartley. Richardson makes credible every aspect of her character's horrible predicament. Hart continues to impress with his versatility and range, and Flemyng manages to be scary and pitiable as the tortured Frank. Child actor Sam Bould is a real find. He delivers a heartbreaking, intense performance that seems utterly real and unaffected.
HOLLOW REED
Cinepix Film Properties
Director Angela Pope
Screenplay Paula Milne
Producer Elizabeth Karlsen
Executive producers Nik Powell
Stephen Woolley
Director of photography Remi Adefarasin
Editor Sue Wyatt
Original music Anne Dudley
Color/stereo
Cast:
Oliver Wyatt Sam Bould
Martyn Wyatt Martin Donovan
Tom Dixon Ian Hart
Hannah Wyatt Joely Richardson
Frank Donally Jason Flemyng
Doctor Razmu Shaheen Khan
Running time -- 106 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 4/22/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.