A title you will never be able to spell

Morvern Callar (2002) is a UK release that I saw on a couple critics top of the decade list, and being the type of person that doesn't want to miss anything I immediately put it on the top of my Netflix que. I need to apologize for those 499 movies Morvern Callar jumped so that I could see it before the end of the decade.

The title is the main characters name Morvern is played by Samantha Morton an actress I have always enjoyed but have never given to much thought to. In this review I want to concentrate on three main points, 1. the morality of this character, 2. Samantha Morton performance, 3. what's the point.

Many times with these independent beautifully shot dramas you get absolutely no judgement on the main character and their actions, there is no difference here other than we not only get no judgement but we almost don't even get any acknowledgment of her flat out despicable actions. Time after time this soft spoken women will do things that the film very purposely seems to just ignore, its almost as if we as the audience put the blinders onto what she is doing as much as she is putting on the blinders to her own actions. It is a very unusual perspective to take, one I have never really seen before.

One of the main reason's this film evokes such an odd fleeting tone is because of Mortons performance here. Had I never seen Morton in another film I would have not thought she was acting here, and that she really was this loner, on the run type character. It is one of those performances that is so understated its almost catatonic. I feel nothing from watching her, I just watch. You compare this performance to something like Ryan Goslings in Half Nelson, you at least know he is acting and going for something, where as Morton seems to be putting all her power into going for nothing. Now the debate becomes is this great acting or is this stripping the process away. Knowing how good Morton is in other roles I tend to vote for the first option.

So far I have listed a couple reasons why at least this may be a movie worth checking out, but as a whole I found myself asking what was the point. Mortons performance, the tone, the loneliness, I don't feel like it ever served a bigger purpose. The character never finds anything substantial, the film never really asks any questions. I don't know why it exists other than to show off some interesting if not pretentious cinematography and to frustrate the audience. Part of me thinks it is some sick experiment by writer, director Lynne Ramsay to see what messages people will interpret from this seeming-less blank slate. And apparently according to those critics who's best of the decade list includes this film she may have succeeded. I wonder if maybe by my response and how long this review is, if Ramsay may have succeed with me too.

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