Is Anybody There?

Although the metaphysical question is answered with a resolute ‘no’, Is Anybody There? willingly grapples with the philosophical implications of old age and death. Set in a nursing home some time in the 1980s – two reasons for the film’s overwhelmingly melancholic atmosphere – it follows the journey of a young boy, Edward (Bill Milner) as he tries to come to terms with the ageing and death that surrounds him.

It is, of course, Michael Caine’s turn as a senile magician that dominates the movie: cantankerous, then compassionate, bitter and repentant, he moves towards his death with a mixture of dignity and defiance, still trying to understand and control a world that has long since defeated him. In acting his age, Caine uncovers his vulnerability, made all the more poignant by the memories of his earlier, more aggressive roles.

These two stories, of the young and the old, come together to examine the meaning of life in the face of death. Edward’s fascination with the occult is given short shrift by Caine’s Clarence, who encourages him to engage with the living and not the ghosts that he hopes haunt the house. In turn, Clarence begins to feel responsible for this strange child, and so is brought back into society and finding a place for himself in the home.

By settling into a dark tone – the portrayal of the indignities of old age is unflinching – director John Crowley gives the final message of hope a powerful impact. It is not undermined by being compromised and partial; aside from an incongruous moment of sentimentality in the final moments, Is Anybody There? wrenches its positivity from the painful. Grief is accepted, suffering is not valorised and there are no metaphysical attempts to escape the finality of death. It is all the more moving for refusing trite resolutions.

While Edward’s acceptance of his life and circumstances give the film its hopeful finale, it is Caine’s slow unravelling of his character’s guilt and regret that is compelling. His early aggression, once breached by Edward, is replaced by self-pity, which then becomes repentance. At the start, he is unpleasant, withdrawn and brittle; by his death, he is communicative and charming, having discovered forgiveness and hope.

The film’s vision is almost determinedly secular – religion is not offered as compensation, nor is it present in the characters’ lives and deaths. Aside from a rather twee moment towards the end, the idea of an afterlife is not considered. By concentrating on those left behind, Is Anybody There? ignores Christian ideas of salvation: there is not so much as a token burial scene.

Instead, the film tries to escape the finality of death by contextualising it, and identifying various connections, forged in life, but continuing after death. This heightens the dramatic impact – Edward’s flirtations with ghosts notwithstanding, death is absolute – as well as creating a powerful antagonist for both Edward and Clarence. Throughout, they struggle to come to terms with death’s finality. While this lends them heroism, it perhaps lacks any convictions for the characters to support their hopes.

The vision of old age is pessimistic, and death is not sentimentalised or played for cheap laughs. Sub-plots rise and disappear, embroidering the plot and reflecting on the two main characters’ journey. The ensemble performances are splendid, the period detail horribly vivid. But the delicate unfolding of the plot and nuanced characterisation make this a genuinely thoughtful meditation on the importance of compassion and connection.

Gareth Vile



 Visit this film's official web site