The glow of memory

Movie
German title	The glow of memory
Original title	The Leisure Seeker
Country of production	France , Italy
original language	English
Publishing year	2017
length	113 minutes
Age rating	FSK 12 ; JMK 10
Rod
Director	Paolo Virzì
script	Stephen Amidon , ; Francesca Archibugi , ; Paolo Virzì, ; Francesco Piccolo
production	Marco Cohen , ; Fabrizio Donvito , ; Benedetto Habib
music	Carlo Virzi
camera	Luca Bigazzi
cut	Jacopo Quadri
occupation
	Helen Mirren : Ella; Donald Sutherland : John; Kirsty Mitchell : Jennifer Ward; Janel Moloney : Jane; Christian McKay : Will; Dana Ivey : Lillian; Dick Gregory : Dan; Robert Pralgo : Phillip; Raegan Millican : Jane (young);

The Shine of Memory (original title: The Leisure Seeker ) is a romantic road movie by Paolo Virzì , which premiered on September 3, 2017 as part of the Venice Film Festival . The French-Italian co-production is based on the novel of the same name by Michael Zadoorian.

action

Winnebago Indian

Ella and John live in Wellesley near Boston and have been happily married for almost 50 years, but slowly the age is noticeable. Because the two have the feeling that they do not have much time and they have to spend much of their free time with doctors, they make up one day with her 1975 feature Winnebago vintage camper on to in Key West , the former home of Ernest Hemingway to visit.

Your children don't think this is a good idea because of their parents' health. John 's got Alzheimer's and Ella's been found to have a tumor. Although John often appears a little absent-minded, he is physically fit and often exhausted but her mind clearer than ever.

On their journey along the American east coast to Florida they experience their last adventure.

production

Staff and cast

It is in the lights of remembrance to the English-language directorial debut of Italian filmmaker Paolo Virzì, who previously by films like The Sweet Greed from the year 2013, The About lucky had made 2016 a name. The film is based on the novel The Shine of Memory (original title: The Leisure Seeker ) by Michael Zadoorian from 2009. The book was the second work of the American writer and developed into a bestseller, especially in Italy. The director wrote the script adaptation of Zadoorian's novel for the film together with Stephen Amidon , Francesca Archibugi and Francesco Piccolo . The film music was composed by Carlo Virzì , the director's brother.

Ella and John's travel destination is the Hemingway House in Key West

Leading actors Donald Sutherland and Helen Mirren at the screening of the film in Toronto

Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland played the lead roles of Ella and John in the film. The last time Mirren and Sutherland had stood together in front of the camera 26 years earlier for the shooting of the film Bethune - Doctor and Hero by Phillip Borsos . Since Ella has cancer in the film, Mirren shaved a bald head while filming. In the film, however, she can be seen with short blonde hair that she wears under her wig. Janel Moloney took on the role of Jane, who is played in flashbacks of Raegan Millican .

Filming and publishing

Filming began in Atlanta and the nearby town of Dunwoody in July 2016 . Further filming in Georgia took place at Jekyll Island State Park and McDonough . In Florida they shot in a hospital in marathon , in Bahia Honda State Park on Big Pine Key and in September 2016 in Key West , including the Hemingway house .

The distribution rights for the film are owned by Sony Classics. The film premiered on September 3, 2017 at the Venice Film Festival , where it was shown in the main competition and was nominated for the Golden Lion. Also in September 2017, the film was presented at the Toronto International Film Festival . The US theatrical release was scheduled for March 9, 2018. The theatrical release in Germany took place on January 4, 2018.

reception

Reviews

Gerhard Midding from epd Film explains that Ella, who is seriously ill herself, does not give up in the film: “She adamantly insists that he recall names, places and situations to her mind. This is a tug of war that Paolo Virzì confidently expects the audience to have, sometimes annoying, sometimes funny and then extremely exhilarating when John's memory suddenly comes back. ”For this tightrope walk, Midding continues, actors are needed who are sensitive and robustly vulnerable and Helen Mirren and Donald Sutherland stand up wonderfully for their characters without falling into the trap of sentimentality.

Martin Schwickert from General-Anzeiger says that the screenplay based on the novel by Michael Zadoorian shows good empathy for the everyday life of Alzheimer's marriage in details , but remains somewhat predictable in its developments and the discouraged conflicts. Within the pleasant setting, however, you really enjoy watching Mirren and Sutherland at work, continues Schwickert, who here acted well on one another and acted completely confidently, but simply did not get enough control of them to be able to show themselves to really great shape.