Is There Anybody There? (2008)

User Rating:

6.2/10   

Director:

John Crowley

Writer:

Peter Harness (writer)

Release Date:

2008 (UK)

Plot:

"Set in 1980s seaside England, this is the story of Edward, an unusual ten year old boy growing up in an old people's home run by his parents...

Cast

Thelma Barlow	...	Ena
Michael Caine
Linzey Cocker	...	Tanya
Anne-Marie Duff	...	Mum
Garrick Hagon	...	Dr. Mewling
Rosemary Harris	...	Elsie
Ralph Ineson	...	Mr. Kelly
Angie Inwards	...	Mavis
Karl Johnson	...	Arthur
Miles Jupp	...	Vicar
Michael Keogh	...	Paramedic
Bill Milner	...	Edward
David Morrissey	...	Dad
Leslie Phillips	...	Reg
Ralph Riach	...	Clive
Elizabeth Spriggs	...	Prudence
Sylvia Syms	...	Lilian
Peter Vaughan	...	Bob

Directed by
John Crowley

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Peter Harness		writer

Produced by
Rosie Alison	....	co-producer
Jeb Brody	....	executive producer
David Heyman	....	producer
Mark Hubbard	....	line producer
Christine Langan	....	executive producer
Peter Saraf	....	producer
David M. Thompson	....	executive producer
Marc Turtletaub	....	producer

Original Music by
Joby Talbot

Cinematography by
Rob Hardy

Film Editing by
Trevor Waite

Casting by
Fiona Weir

Production Design by
Kave Quinn

Art Direction by
Lynne Huitson

Set Decoration by
Gemma Ryan

Costume Design by
Jane Petrie

Makeup Department
Fae Hammond	....	makeup designer
Gemma Richardson	....	hair stylist: crowd dailies
Gemma Richardson	....	makeup artist: crowd dailies

Production Management
Tania Blunden	....	post-production supervisor (as Tania Windsor Blunden)
Alice Dawson	....	production manager
Amie Tridgell	....	unit manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Daniel Gill	....	additional crowd third assistant director
Heidi Gower	....	third assistant director
Martin Harrison	....	first assistant director
Chris Stoaling	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Garry Dawson	....	stand-by props
Kevin Day	....	stand-by props
Gavin Grant	....	props
Douglas Ingram	....	storyboard artist
Loretta Lipworth	....	art department trainee
Chris Lunney	....	graphic designer
James Mannell	....	props
Steve Register	....	property master
Oliver Roberts	....	stand-by art director
Dorothy Sullivan	....	assistant set decorator

Sound Department
Arthur Graley	....	foley editor
Nigel Heath	....	sound re-recording mixer
Dan Morgan	....	dialogue editor
Paul Munro	....	boom operator
Colin Nicolson	....	sound recordist
Marc Sampson	....	sound trainee
Julian Slater	....	supervising sound editor
Jessica Ward	....	assistant sound editor

Special Effects by
James Davis III	....	special effects senior technician
Hugh Goodbody	....	special effects technician
Mark Holt	....	special effects supervisor
Chris Reynolds	....	senior special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Matthew Bristowe	....	digital lab producer: MPC
Kelly Bruce	....	compositor
Max Horton	....	digital colourist
Begoña Lopez	....	digital lab producer: MPC
Sona Pak	....	visual effects producer
Giuseppe Tagliavini	....	digital compositor: MPC

Stunts
Nick Chopping	....	stunt double

Camera and Electrical Department
Simon Baker	....	Steadicam operator
Richie Donnelly	....	first assistant camera
Alan Hall	....	first assistant camera
Nick Wall	....	still photographer
Lee Walters	....	gaffer

Casting Department
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
Ruth Key	....	casting assistant
Alice Searby	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Karen Beale	....	costume assistant
Anne T. Delaney	....	costume maker
Lucy Donowho	....	costume assistant
Poli Kyriacou	....	costume buyer
Richard Sale	....	assistant costume designer
Julie Telfer	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Nina Bradley	....	assistant editor
Faye Stevens	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Ben Foster	....	orchestrator
Liz Gallacher	....	music supervisor
Catherine Manners	....	music score coordinator

Other crew
Danielle Bennett	....	floor runner
Oliver Butler	....	base runner
Valentina Coccia	....	production coordinator
Jonah Coombes	....	location manager
Jon Duncan	....	production accountant
Scott Eaton	....	assistant production coordinator
Adrian Hubbard	....	production runner
Diana Lander	....	unit nurse
Jill McCullough	....	dialect coach
Sharon Milton	....	tutor
Shailini Vijay Naik	....	production assistant
Claire Oakley	....	assistant to director
Sylvia Parker	....	script supervisor
Scott Penrose	....	magic consultant
Liam Winn	....	runner
Oliver Wiseman	....	assistant: mr heyman
Charlotte Wright	....	location scout
Josh Yudkin	....	assistant location manager

Production Companies

• Big Beach Films
• Heyday Films

Distributors

• Maximum Film Distribution (2008) (Canada) (theatrical)

Special Effects

• Foreign Office (titles)

Other Companies

• Arion Facilities  dailies telecine transfers
• Audiolink Radio Communications  walkie talkies
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Cinetic Media  international sales
• Fuji Photo Film  motion picture film supplied by

Runtime:

Canada:92 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Chalfont St. Giles, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Big Beach Films

Trivia:

The last film of Elizabeth Spriggs, she died during post production.

A young lad fascinated by death befriends a retired magician.

Brilliant. I loved every minute of it.

The movie had the perfect mix of comedy and drama. It's a joy to watch Bill Milner (of Son of Rambow fame) go toe to toe with Michael Caine.

It was interesting to hear from the director how the movie originally had political undertones. As I recall from the Q&A at the TIFF screenings, the director said that the movie was set in the late 80s partly because of Margaret Thatcher - who declared that "There's no such thing as society... only individuals and families."

I'm glad they decided to skip the politics altogether though. It would have taken away from such a simple story that in itself is just beautiful one to watch.