We watched an introductory film by Eileen Atkins, who said she was sent such rubbish she might as well adapt Virginia Woolf's novel herself, but 'couldn't find a part' for her. And having looked at a summary of the novel's plot, I'd say she did a bloody good job.
Gorris had just won an Oscar for her film Antonia. Eileen's husband decided to produce it but ran out of money, and the whole project was taken over by a new funder, without their involvement. When they saw the finished film, they hated it. But wind forward a few years, The Hours was premiered at Guildford and they agreed to screen Mrs Dalloway along with, with a Q&A with Eileen, and seeing it again, she and her husband loved it!
Mrs Dalloway (who has recently suffered from some sort of unexplained 'illness') prepares for a party to be given that evening, cross cut against her romantic past. In conjunction a shell shocked soldier spends a day in the park before being committed. He kills himself and Mrs Dalloway hears about it at the party and feels for him. It doesn't sound much, but it's really good.
And with this great cast it should be. Vanessa Redgrave and Natasha McElhone as her younger self, Michael Kitchen, Alan Cox, Rupert Graves, Amelia Bullmore, Lena Headey, John Standing, Sarah Badel, Robert Hardy, Phyllis Calvert.
Handsomely set and photographed by Sue Gibson, good music from Ilona Sekacz. Clapper loader Joe Wright is not that one, but does show I pay attention to credits!
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