Pity so few people have seen this film. I really enjoyed watching it, it was more original and entertaining than a lot of features I've seen in a long time. My favorite character, besides Anita's character or Mr.Shillabeer of course was Mr.Turtle.
5 Reviews
Splendid little film
registrations-54 February 2009
Really, this film is just what it is, a small fantasy with some real heart. Downgrading it for lack of greater meaning is really missing the point, and not just about Lovely. I only wish I could find a digital copy so I could share it with friends.
Although one could deconstruct it into any number of mostly related meanings about existence, work, and our relationship to the modern world, I prefer to consider it as a sort of visual tone poem (a light poem?) that plays with those areas, makes some soft suggestions about them, but primarily is just here to be enjoyed. It's interesting that the people involved have had some other experience, but never really went on to do a lot in film. I've seen early works by noted filmmakers that were less satisfying by far.
Although one could deconstruct it into any number of mostly related meanings about existence, work, and our relationship to the modern world, I prefer to consider it as a sort of visual tone poem (a light poem?) that plays with those areas, makes some soft suggestions about them, but primarily is just here to be enjoyed. It's interesting that the people involved have had some other experience, but never really went on to do a lot in film. I've seen early works by noted filmmakers that were less satisfying by far.
Would you like biscuits with that?
fromula3 March 2000
Warning: Spoilers
Warning: spoilers ahead. Imagine a lighter, friendlier version of Terry Gilliam's "Brazil". Our subject is a woman who brings food carts to offices, and the day she has. She walks her cart down an endless hallway into identical offices staffed by pairs of near-identical women, gives them their food, and engages in light conversation. The same food, and the same conversation, over and over again. --Coffee, one cream, one sugar. Coffee, black. Coffee, two creams, no sugar. Coffee, two sugars. Would you like biscuits with that? No. Lovely. Would you like biscuits with that? No. Would you like biscuits with that? No thanks.-- Even their chit-chat is a matter of repetition and routine: Nice day. Yeah, but cold. Lovely day. Yeah, but a bit cold. This goes on and on, and meanwhile, there's an inspector trooping around, relentlessley examining the building and its businesses. We see him floating a feather over a heat register to check for air flow, and filling out his own endless set of forms on office quality.
-- Office environment: beige. Efficiency: beige. Service: beige. -- Were this all there was to the film, it would be pretty dull. (Yet still oddly fascinating.) Anyway, her routine is broken when she reaches of office of Chris, the dancing manager. (That's how he's identified in the credits.) His office is the only one that's different from any of the others, and he's rather different, too. "Yes, I want biscuits, and do you have any of those...." She tells him it's her last day as a push-cart woman, and he's horrified: "But who will dance with Mr. Turtle?" Here he produces a cheap wind up turtle toy , which dances around on his desk, this tango music starts out of nowhere, and the two of them do this silly dance in time with Mr. Turtle. When their dance is rudely interrupted by one of Chris' co-workers, the woman becomes angry and wheels her cart up to the roof. She's taking it easy, juggling oranges, when the inspector appears. The two of them stare each other down, he the epitome of work and efficiency, and she just broken out of a routine. She tosses him an orange, forcing him to drop his ubiquitous clipboard, and she shows him how to juggle. If you think this film sounds stupid because of my description, it's my doing. This is a really cool film.
-- Office environment: beige. Efficiency: beige. Service: beige. -- Were this all there was to the film, it would be pretty dull. (Yet still oddly fascinating.) Anyway, her routine is broken when she reaches of office of Chris, the dancing manager. (That's how he's identified in the credits.) His office is the only one that's different from any of the others, and he's rather different, too. "Yes, I want biscuits, and do you have any of those...." She tells him it's her last day as a push-cart woman, and he's horrified: "But who will dance with Mr. Turtle?" Here he produces a cheap wind up turtle toy , which dances around on his desk, this tango music starts out of nowhere, and the two of them do this silly dance in time with Mr. Turtle. When their dance is rudely interrupted by one of Chris' co-workers, the woman becomes angry and wheels her cart up to the roof. She's taking it easy, juggling oranges, when the inspector appears. The two of them stare each other down, he the epitome of work and efficiency, and she just broken out of a routine. She tosses him an orange, forcing him to drop his ubiquitous clipboard, and she shows him how to juggle. If you think this film sounds stupid because of my description, it's my doing. This is a really cool film.
What's the point?
roxie_blues29 January 2002
I've watched this film over and over but it makes no sense every time. I just don't understand it. Why do they dance in the office? Why on earth do they go to the roof and juggle oranges? I just don't get it. On top of that, it's boring. The only dialogue the entire film is "Morning...biscuits?"
Quite Lovely
Ewan-1129 February 2000
Lovely is a beautiful little short. It follows a breakfast-trolley girl's last day on the job, before she moves up to typist. It is funny, yet touching on a very human level. The Mr. Turtle dance scene is worth the 10 minutes of your time alone. The acting is good all around, and the ordinary life settings are cinematography all fit nicely. If you are a fan of shorts this is definitely one to check out.
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