Midwinter Break
- 34 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Some quiet films cast a spell.
In a magical alchemy of beautiful settings, quiet thoughts and masterclass acting, they pull you into their almost silent world.
MIDWINTER BREAK is a fine example, sinking us into the everyday life of a couple who have been married for a very long time.
The critical, formative action and tragedy in their marriage happened a very long time ago and the two never speak about it.
They have found comfort in routine, but can that last forever?
Lesley Manville (The Phantom Thread) plays Stella, who we first meet on Christmas Eve as she prepares to leave for a nearby Catholic Mass. It's clear that her husband Gerry (Ciaran Hinds) has no interest in joining her, as he relaxes in a lounge chair, a symphony playing on his headphones. Their goodbye is comfortable, everyday, sweet.
We watch Stella walk from her home to the nearby church, through those perfect, wet Scotland streets and the comfort of small town outside Edinburgh. She comes alive in her generic interactions with fellow churchgoers.
Returning home, she finds Gerry asleep in his chair and the camera follows her through the small home on a lonely Christmas Eve that inspires her to shake things up, gifting Gerry a vacation for them both to Amsterdam.
The loneliness in that scene is palpable, pouring off the screen for long moments. It's as unsettling to us as it was Stella.
Her surprise gift seems to be an inspiring thought and just what they needed.
Never in a hurry, the film watches as they head to Amsterdam, check into their hotel, explore just a bit and then slip into familiar patterns.
We begin to feel that Stella needs more.
A lesser film would find immediate fault in Gerry and reward Stella with a magnificent new chapter of discovery in her later years.
But is life really that simple?
What happened to this couple many years ago at the start of their marriage?
Is it possible for a couple to know nothing & far too much about each other at the same time?
A mature film that asks for your patience, emotions portrayed feel raw, pained and long pent up when they surface.
Hinds and Manville are old pros and create two very very different people living under the same, small roof. Gerry and Stella feel like people you've seen across the room for a very long time. I could watch these two actors in anything, they are both superb.
Neither Stella or Gerry are perfect, both are flawed.
The scene in which Stella joins a stranger named Kathy (Niamh Cusack) in her flat for tea is powerful. Manville is hearing these words for the very first time and her outpouring in response left the theater in stunned silence. You could hear a pin drop. A fine moment.
The photography by Laurie Rose (Rebecca, Peaky Blinders) captures the comfort and solitude of Europe from every angle. Silent shots of quiet paths offer up plenty of thought. There are also moments that perfectly capture a quiet couple isolated in the middle of a rush hour or busy street that speak a thousand words.
Some critics are calling this a "wee drama" implying that there is not enough story here to carry a film.
I disagree.
MIDWINTER BREAK is indeed small in scope, quiet and introspective, but great things can be found in small packages, if you're patient and willing to observe.
Beneath the calm run powerful currents on faith, love, promises made and commitment.
Need an acting class?
Come watch these two pros for 90 minutes, they elevate the film to an A.
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