FLASHBACKS OF A FOOL

Written & Directed by: Baillie Walsh

Starring: Daniel Craig, Olivia Williams, Claire Forlani, Jodhi May, Miriam Karlin, Mark Strong, James D’Arcy, Harry Eden

Distributed by Buena Vista International

Released on 18th April 2008 in the U.K.

Review by James Rawson

In-between Bond projects are of particular importance to the career of any 007, for it is these that enable him to create an image in the cinema-going public’s eye that will eventually enable him to be separated from that most famous of spies. So one must hope, for the sake of British cinema if nothing else, that Daniel Craig has picked wisely as he stars, and executive produces, in Baillie Walsh’s first major feature film, Flashbacks of a Fool.

LA, modern day, and Joe Scot (Craig) is in something of a rut. A burnt out actor in his early 40s, he passes the days in his Hollywood Hills mansion snorting coke and patronising LA’s finest hookers, much to the annoyance of his maid, Orphelia. On the same day that his agent informs him that his Hollywood days are numbered, and Orphelia threatens to leave, Joe receives a phone call from his mother, breaking the news that his childhood friend Boots has died. Distraught,and forced to reflect on the man that he has become, Joe immerses himself in the vastness of the Pacific Ocean: cue the titular flashback.

England, early 1970s, and a teenage Joe Scot is coming of age in a quiet seaside resort, where he splits his time between his dysfunctional home life and best mate Boots. Friend of the family, and married mother, Evelyn (Jodhi May) seduces a young Joe and teaches him the ways of the bedroom; while he also develops a far more innocent romance with the young, Bryan Ferry obsessed Ruth. But as the long summer progresses, Joe’s association with Evelyn causes a schism in his relationships with both Boots and Ruth, and eventually leads to a tragedy which tears the town apart. Rather than face the music, Joe runs away to start a new life.

Part redemption tale, part coming-of-age story, Flashbacks of a Fool’s main problem is that its two narrative strands never quite gel: there is little continuity between the two actors in appearance, accent or mannerisms. While both Craig and Eden turn in fine performances, it really does feel as if they’re playing two different roles in two different films. And with the lead character so divided, Walsh is never quite able to provide the emotional resonance with his audience that he is so obviously striving for.

Fortunately, however, the film’s redeeming features are strong enough to just about save the film. Eden in particular is supported by an almost comprehensively magnificent cast; whether it’s rising star Alfie Allen (of Lily’s brother fame) as Boots, Olivia Williams as Joe’s mother Grace, or Miriam Karlin as the fantastically cantankerous Mrs Rogers, Bailie Walsh elicits superb and heart-felt performances from them all.

Married with the cast is John Mathieson’s (Gladiator) exquisite cinematography. The shots of England’s coast line (which are actually South Africa in winter) are truly dream-like; and the slo-mo scene of Ruth and Joe miming to Roxy’s If There is Something perfectly encapsulates the feel of the film, and the vibrance and sexuality of a young boy on the verge of manhood.

The script can prove a little clunky at times (the title couldn’t be much clunkier), and the amount of sex, and Daniel Craig’s naked backside (which I do believe is up for a BAFTA lifetime achievement award), does suggest a certain lack of confidence in the film’s material, which may be deserved. But Flashbacks is by all means watchable, and will hold your attention throughout. It’s just a shame that, with a few script rewrites, one feels that it really could have been something far more.

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