NEW ON THE BIG SCREEN / THE SENSE OF AN ENDING

DRAMA. With JIM BROADBENT and MICHELLE DOCKERY. Director: RITESH BATRA. 13LS. Opens 24 MARCH.

A melancholic old man (Broadbent) who owns a camera shop in London gets an unexpected call from an attorney to tell him an ex-girlfriend has left him her diary in her will, but that her mother won’t hand it over. Via flashbacks the secret behind intrigues and scandals that had been kept in the dark for a long time are exposed.

This is just the thing for readers who enjoy intimate confessions and plenty of unusual and highly dramatic action. There are a few interesting revelations you wouldn’t see coming, so stay sharp!

Based on the novel by Julian Barnes in which the characters’ inner lives are thoroughly and dramatically exposed, this is a dark, intense and slow film. Bringing these characters to life is a demanding job but the cast includes some of Britain’s top actors.

Broadbent is the master of underplayed neurosis. He can express his character’s inner struggle with just a look or nervous fumble. Joe Alwyn, who appears in the flashbacks as one of his best friends, shows his excellent performance in this year’s Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk wasn’t just a fluke. This talented young actor knows how to make an impact with just one or two lines of dialogue. But it’s the great Charlotte Rampling’s performance that really ties the story together.

An excellent if demanding and sometimes exhausting watch. – LEON VAN NIEROP