Displaying items by tag: John Hannah

THIS TIME NEXT YEAR

UK, 2024, 115 minutes, Colour.

Sophie Cookson, Lucien Laviscount, Golda Rosheuvel, Mendip Gill., Monica Dolan, John Hannah,

Directed by Nick Moore.

A British romantic comedy, British style, a story of 30-somethings. The film is based on a novel by Sophie Cousens who has also written the screenplay.

Audiences who like a London stories will feel very much at home, the suburbs, mansions, the Underground, buses, pastry shops, the business world… But, there is a difficulty with identifying with the central character, Minnie Cooper (Sophie Cookson). She has a certain amount of charm, but… She is extremely accident-prone which we discover almost immediately, with accidents recurring throughout the film.

But, it is because one of these accidents that she encounters a charming young man, the Prince Charming equivalent, Quinn (Lucien Laviscount well-known to fans of television’s Emily in Paris). He has to rescue her when she is accidentally locked in the toilet overnight.

There is a little twist with these two coming together – and flashbacks to their birth, each on the same day, New Year’s Day, their two mothers helping each other and the issue of each of the mothers wanting to call their child, Quinn. (And there were social and financial consequences.)

So, will they fall in love? Will it be an easy path? Or will it be full of situations going wrong and misunderstandings? Obviously, the latter.

So, we follow Minnie and her bakery, her skill with pies, her friends working with her, her supplying pies to charities. And, Quinn can go along with that. But, each of them makes mistakes, and it does take a long time for them eventually to come together.

In the meantime, for the grandparent generation audience, there is a pleasing story of the two mothers getting together, mutual help, kindness and understanding.

Which means then that the appeal is to those who love romcoms, who enjoy the romance, even though misunderstandings, but for audiences chancing upon the film, it will depend on their initial response to Minnie and Quinn and whether they attracted to want to follow-up on this romantic adventure.

1. The title, the New Year’s theme, celebrations, year by year passing? Basic incident, the birth of the two children, the name Quinn, the celebrity for Quinn, the obscurity for Minnie’s mother and her resentment?
2. British romantic comedy, for 30-somethings? Identifying with the characters, the situations, relationships, work, finance, mishaps and misunderstandings? (And something for the grandparent generation with the story of Minnie’s parents, Quinn’s mother?)
3. The opening, New Year’s Eve, Minnie, to meet Greg, the mishaps, her being accident-prone, the Underground, the woman vomiting, going into the party, locked in the toilet, finally rescued by Quinn? How sympathetic character, audiences being irritated by her?
4. The family background, the flashback to the birth, Minnie’s mother helping Tara, the importance of the name, Tara explaining it was a tribute, the media, the financial reward, Minnie’s mother and the decades of resentment?
5. Minnie, her work, catering, the pies, her friends, the staff, the accident and the difficulties with the equipment, Leila best friend, school memories, financial management? Ian, devotion to Leila, the discussion about the proposal, the memories of the conversation, Leila and the extravagant proposal scenario, Minnie putting it into practice, the comedy of the acceptance?
6. When, his background and name, his mother, her phobias, their wealth, his visits, the absent father, memories father, the chess game? His encounter with Minnie, the joke about Mini Cooper?
7. His return, the breakfast, his seeing her work, accompanying her, carrying the pies, the welcome and the meals for the residents at the centre?
8. Audience response to the relationship between Minnie and Quinn, the ups and downs, her visits to the house, his mother, the reaction of her parents, friendship, discussions, the occasions on outings, swimming, the hesitancy with the kiss? His disappearance, communicating again, the return, the effect on Minnie, the blossoming of the relationship, his disappearing again, the card and his apology, shredded?
9. Minnie’s mother, going to see Tara, the initial tension, bitterness, the two women talking together, understanding, friendship, Tara and her phobias, the other woman getting her to go outside, enjoyment of the friendship?
10. Minnie, Leila and the finances, the need for reorganisation, and Minnie moving to new house?
11. New Year’s Eve, Minnie hurrying to meet Quinn, the bus, the driver helping her, the boat sailed? Return, finding Quinn, possibilities?
12. At the house, the sexual episode, her parents arriving, the embarrassment, the future?
13. Finally settling the differences, Minnie and her history being upset, Quinn and his apologies, a couple made for each other?

ANOTHER WOMAN'S SON

UK, 2017, 103 minutes, Colour.

Jenny Seagrove, John Hannah, Julian Kostov, Susan Hampshire, Nicholas Farrell, Amanda Abbington, Joanna David, Ronan Keating, Peter Wight.

Directed by Christopher Menaul.

The Channel Islands have appeared in a number of British war films. Jersey and Guernsey occupied by the Germans, the British nationals trying to survive in the atmosphere of war, the presence of the German military, refugees.

This film is set in Jersey, a 21^st-century perspective on the war. The central character is Luke, played by Jenny Seagrove, who son is at war. She has a shop, is well respected on the island. The supporting cast has a number of British acting veterans including John Hannah, Nicholas Farrell as well as Susan Hampshire.

There are also captured Russian soldiers working on the island, strict supervision, harsh conditions. At the core of this story is an escaped Russian soldier, young, welcomed by Lou and other members of the community, concealed. There is the language issue, ideology issues, an older woman lamenting the loss of her son and finding a substitute son along with tensions with the occupying German soldiers.

The film captures the atmosphere of the 1940s on the island, the atmosphere of the war, the harshness of the German occupation – and the humane story of care for the British mother and the Russian soldier.

1. A World War II film, 1940s memories, a 21^st-century perspective?
2. Jersey, the setting, the island, the landscapes, the sea, the quarries, homes, shops? And the transition to the trains in the concentration camps? The musical score? The islanders’ parody of Lily Marlene against the Germans?
3. Establishing the atmosphere, the German occupation, British under occupation, the prisoners from Russia, the work in the quarries, the cruelty and brutality? The ordinary citizens, their way of life, the privations, organisation under the Germans, post?
4. Lou, strong character, her son fighting, the post and the news of his death? Her grief, the ceremony in the church, faith? Running the store, bond with Ivy, with Harold? Arthur and his fussiness? The other friends? The gossiping bonneted ladies across the street – and suspicions that they were reporting people to the authorities?
5. Bill, Russian soldier, the brutality of the quarries, his escape, the encounter with Lou, her accepting him, bathing, shaving, his age, memories of home? Lou allowing him to stay, teaching English? A substitute for her son? The others knowing about him, the secrecy? The support from Harold? Arthur and his being fidgety?
6. The three women on the coast, seeing the young girl and a German soldier, Lou and her reaction, ousting her, the later encounters? The stating to the authorities she had never been in the shop?
7. The bond between Bill and Lou, teaching English, the reading, going to the store, buying the art book, his sketching? The discussions about God, his angry outburst? Lou’s reaction? His going out of the house, her bringing him back? The excursion, the roadblock and their escaping? The forged document? His becoming part of the community, the Christmas celebration, singing the Russian song, the authorities coming to the door, Harold and his singing the song?
8. De La Haye and his role in the island, authority, concessions, the post, Arthur and his steaming open the letters, not delivering the reports, missing out on the report against Lou? The consequences, the arrival of the Germans, the search in the house, clear except for the book, the Russian bookmark, her arrest? The other women, in the cells?
9. The trials, the sentences, the hopes with the Allies planes flying overhead? Their being transported to the concentration camps? The glimpse of Harold, Lou and the women, throwing him the tobacco? Their deaths? His survival?
10. Bill, his survival, the aftermath of the war?
11. The final tributes to Lou and the others, the self-sacrifice in war?