Coming out one year after GHOST and kicking off the directing career of Anthony Minghella (ENGLISH PATIENT), the story follows the healing process Nina (Juliet Stevenson, BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM) goes through after her beloved boyfriend Jamie (Alan Rickman, ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES) dies.
The film starts as a straight-forward drama, but midway through brings in the ghost of Jamie. Before Jamie reappears, Nina is having a very hard time. She can’t date and is very sensitive about anything to do with Jamie. There’s a powerful scene where Nina breaks down in a therapy session, which is one of the most heartrending crying scenes I’ve ever seen.
Once Jamie returns everything is just peachy between Nina and him. But once he starts to invite his ghostly friends over, she starts to develop the power to move on with life, especially after meeting the funny Mark (Michael Maloney, 1996’s HAMLET).
Considering the whole ghost part is the main conceit of the film, it sadly doesn’t work that well. The film is so honest about the pain of losing a loved one that the ghost hook seems like a convenient cheat. With Jamie here on earth seems like a big obstacle in wanting to be with another man. However, the surrounding material and the overall point of the film are strong enough to make it work with a bit of suspension of disbelief.
This process is helped by amazing performances from Stevenson and Rickman. Because the acting is so good and the film’s understanding of grief so truthful, you can forgive the film for its bumpy parts and just allow yourself to be taken in by the sad romance.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
