One of the strengths of this film is its subtlety. The first ten or fifteen minutes are a great example. Few words are needed yet volumes of emotion are communicated through those scenes. Another - later - example is where Jack and his father are in the park when it's snowing. The weather seems to exaggerate the raw, emotional pain Jack is going through but no words are needed because the viewer knows exactly what he is feeling.
The scene where the grief hits Jack is very poignant - he has been almost in a trance until then, trying to carry on as normal and yet what finally gets him in touch with his grief for Sarah is the almost ordinary combination of her lipstick on the wine glass and her voice on the answerphone. He tried to be so prepared, so involved in his wife's pregnancy but never came close to being prepared for the real outcome.
I hate to say it, but there are points during Jack's early mourning period where the character comes across as what I believe non-English people think of the stereotypical Englishman - blocking out any emotion. Perhaps this is a disadvantage of the story starting when it does - we don't get any idea of what he was like before his wife Sarah was pregnant. The baby next to the sleeping Jack is an interesting metaphor. At that point, both are helpless in their own way, both only in tune with their own feelings, but baby Sarah at least has the excuse of not knowing any better. Jack's selfishness is entirely self-induced.
There are some interesting attempts to explode stereotypes, which I think should be applauded. The characterisation of Jack's boss Anna is interesting - the assumption that just because she is female, she will be more sympathetic would be natural but she comes across as so work-driven that she almost becomes heartless. I think Jack is a bit overwhelmed by Anna, perhaps too much so - there are moments when she is quite cutting and when Jack would be right to correct her. There is a curious comparison with Amy, who - although superficially like other females in that she cooes over Sarah - is sufficiently vague at first that she doesn't even notice which sex baby Sarah is. Jack also tackles another himself over the issue of whether he can use the nursing mothers' room to change Sarah's nappy.
In keeping with the theme of stereotypes, it is interesting how the opinions of the other characters try to influence the main ones. Jack's mum thinks Anna is outwardly great for him when she is really a selfish character, while Amy - who is a far kinder person - is written off as a "dreadful American girl". The baby alarm worked rather well as a plot device - it's an overlooked but very useful piece of equipment. There are quite a lot of twists and turns in this plot - I think most are an intricate combination of clever writing and artful camera angles - but a lot of the plot development hinges on the budding relationship between Jack and Amy and when and how he treats her as a nanny or as a friend. It is obviously a grey area for them.
On the surface, this film looks to be just your typical British romantic comedy but this one has some features that make it satisfyingly substantial. In terms of basic romantic plot it is broadly like Four Weddings and a Funeral, but unlike that film it is deeper and the characters are better written and investigated.
The scene where the grief hits Jack is very poignant - he has been almost in a trance until then, trying to carry on as normal and yet what finally gets him in touch with his grief for Sarah is the almost ordinary combination of her lipstick on the wine glass and her voice on the answerphone. He tried to be so prepared, so involved in his wife's pregnancy but never came close to being prepared for the real outcome.
I hate to say it, but there are points during Jack's early mourning period where the character comes across as what I believe non-English people think of the stereotypical Englishman - blocking out any emotion. Perhaps this is a disadvantage of the story starting when it does - we don't get any idea of what he was like before his wife Sarah was pregnant. The baby next to the sleeping Jack is an interesting metaphor. At that point, both are helpless in their own way, both only in tune with their own feelings, but baby Sarah at least has the excuse of not knowing any better. Jack's selfishness is entirely self-induced.
There are some interesting attempts to explode stereotypes, which I think should be applauded. The characterisation of Jack's boss Anna is interesting - the assumption that just because she is female, she will be more sympathetic would be natural but she comes across as so work-driven that she almost becomes heartless. I think Jack is a bit overwhelmed by Anna, perhaps too much so - there are moments when she is quite cutting and when Jack would be right to correct her. There is a curious comparison with Amy, who - although superficially like other females in that she cooes over Sarah - is sufficiently vague at first that she doesn't even notice which sex baby Sarah is. Jack also tackles another himself over the issue of whether he can use the nursing mothers' room to change Sarah's nappy.
In keeping with the theme of stereotypes, it is interesting how the opinions of the other characters try to influence the main ones. Jack's mum thinks Anna is outwardly great for him when she is really a selfish character, while Amy - who is a far kinder person - is written off as a "dreadful American girl". The baby alarm worked rather well as a plot device - it's an overlooked but very useful piece of equipment. There are quite a lot of twists and turns in this plot - I think most are an intricate combination of clever writing and artful camera angles - but a lot of the plot development hinges on the budding relationship between Jack and Amy and when and how he treats her as a nanny or as a friend. It is obviously a grey area for them.
On the surface, this film looks to be just your typical British romantic comedy but this one has some features that make it satisfyingly substantial. In terms of basic romantic plot it is broadly like Four Weddings and a Funeral, but unlike that film it is deeper and the characters are better written and investigated.