RUPERT & DAN Movie Retrospectacle Post #1
lena3 and I used to rec queerfilm back in the day, and we decided that we wanted to dust off our rusty LJ coding skills and look back at Rupert and Dan's cinematic escapades. We'll be covering FIFTEEN of the guys' films by the end of the month; Lena's first post, reviewing Rupert in INTO THE WHITE is HERE . Please check it out!
And awaaaaaaay we go!
DRIVING LESSONS (2006)
Seventeen year old Ben Marshall (Grint) deilvers meals on wheels for his church, where his father, Robert (Nicholas Farrell) is vicar. He must deliver the meals on his bicycle, however, as his mum, Laura (Linney), who's in charge of administering Ben's driving lessons, has been slack, taking Ben out in the family car only to leave him parked out front of the house of the young curate of the church, Peter (Oliver Milburn), with whom Laura is having an affair.
So begins DRIVING LESSONS, a British coming-of-age film directed by Jeremy Brock.
Ben is naturally shy and the fact that he enjoys writing offbeat poetry further distances him from his peers at school. His mother shamelessly manipulates Ben by constantly telling him how special and wonderful he is in private (mostly to ensure his silence concerning her infidelity), yet she publicly treats him as a doorstop, casting Ben as the silent and motionless eucalyptus tree in the church pageant. Ben's father is of no help, apparently oblivious to Laura's dalliances and more interested in his birdwatching.
Adrift and confused, Ben applies for a position as 'assistant' to an elderly, outspoken and rather eccentric actress, Evie Walton (Julie Walters), who basically berates Ben into accepting the position. As they spend more time together, Ben slowly comes out of his shell, and Evie comes to realise that there's more to her life than another bottle of wine.
Grint's performance is understated and suitably muted initially, nicely illustrating Ben's sense of utter hopelessness at being privy to his own mother's affair and having not a soul to speak to about it. His reluctance gradually dissipates as the film progresses, and once Ben finds his 'voice', Grint's formidable skills are finally able to shine through. A super solid performance, given the restrictions of the script.
Laura Linney is fine as Ben's domineering, scheming mother Laura, though I was a bit distracted by her Brit accent, never having heard her use that voice previously. Not a show-stopper by any means.
Of course Walter's Evie nearly steals the show, and rightly so. Her performance is at first over-the-top and tragic, then manic, sardonic and finally serene. A joy to watch, really. And she gets all the best, most humorous lines.
DRIVING LESSONS was filmed/released between GOBLET OF FIRE and ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, and it's really fun to watch Grint and Walters work opposite each other outside of the Harry Potter 'verse.
A thoroughly enjoyable journey, a definite must for any and all Rupert fans!
Runtime: 98 minutes
Rating: PG-13 (US); 15 (UK)
Formats: DVD R1 (US) DVD R2 (UK)
Netflix: No
Amazon Instant Video: Yes
Google Play: Yes
And awaaaaaaay we go!
DRIVING LESSONS (2006)
Seventeen year old Ben Marshall (Grint) deilvers meals on wheels for his church, where his father, Robert (Nicholas Farrell) is vicar. He must deliver the meals on his bicycle, however, as his mum, Laura (Linney), who's in charge of administering Ben's driving lessons, has been slack, taking Ben out in the family car only to leave him parked out front of the house of the young curate of the church, Peter (Oliver Milburn), with whom Laura is having an affair.
So begins DRIVING LESSONS, a British coming-of-age film directed by Jeremy Brock.
Ben is naturally shy and the fact that he enjoys writing offbeat poetry further distances him from his peers at school. His mother shamelessly manipulates Ben by constantly telling him how special and wonderful he is in private (mostly to ensure his silence concerning her infidelity), yet she publicly treats him as a doorstop, casting Ben as the silent and motionless eucalyptus tree in the church pageant. Ben's father is of no help, apparently oblivious to Laura's dalliances and more interested in his birdwatching.
Adrift and confused, Ben applies for a position as 'assistant' to an elderly, outspoken and rather eccentric actress, Evie Walton (Julie Walters), who basically berates Ben into accepting the position. As they spend more time together, Ben slowly comes out of his shell, and Evie comes to realise that there's more to her life than another bottle of wine.
Grint's performance is understated and suitably muted initially, nicely illustrating Ben's sense of utter hopelessness at being privy to his own mother's affair and having not a soul to speak to about it. His reluctance gradually dissipates as the film progresses, and once Ben finds his 'voice', Grint's formidable skills are finally able to shine through. A super solid performance, given the restrictions of the script.
Laura Linney is fine as Ben's domineering, scheming mother Laura, though I was a bit distracted by her Brit accent, never having heard her use that voice previously. Not a show-stopper by any means.
Of course Walter's Evie nearly steals the show, and rightly so. Her performance is at first over-the-top and tragic, then manic, sardonic and finally serene. A joy to watch, really. And she gets all the best, most humorous lines.
DRIVING LESSONS was filmed/released between GOBLET OF FIRE and ORDER OF THE PHOENIX, and it's really fun to watch Grint and Walters work opposite each other outside of the Harry Potter 'verse.
A thoroughly enjoyable journey, a definite must for any and all Rupert fans!
Runtime: 98 minutes
Rating: PG-13 (US); 15 (UK)
Formats: DVD R1 (US) DVD R2 (UK)
Netflix: No
Amazon Instant Video: Yes
Google Play: Yes
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