Felicia, my angel

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Movie
German title Felicia, my angel
Original title Felicia's Journey
Country of production Canada , UK
original language English
Publishing year 1999
length 116 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Atom Egoyan
script Atom Egoyan
production Bruce Davey
music Mychael Danna
camera Paul Sarossy
cut Susan Shipton
occupation

Felicia, mein Engel (Original title: Felicia's Journey ) is a Canadian - British thriller from 1999 . Directed by Atom Egoyan , who also wrote the screenplay based on a novel by William Trevor from 1994.

action

Felicia, a young unemployed Irish woman from a humble background, meets Johnny, who is about the same age, in her hometown. After a brief romance, Johnny makes his way to England to, as he says, take up a job in a factory in Birmingham . When saying goodbye to Felicia, Johnny promised her that he would write a letter to give her his address as soon as he arrived in England, but no letter was received. Felicia's father tells her that in truth Johnny went to England to join the British Army, which makes him unsustainable for her father. Felicia doesn't believe him. When she finds out that she is pregnant, she leaves her hometown and heads to Birmingham to find Johnny.

While looking for Johnny, she meets the single elderly Hilditch, who works as a master chef and canteen manager in a large factory. He is wealthy, lives in a villa and apparently benevolently offers Felicia to live with him until she finds Johnny. Felicia refuses. Since Hilditch steals all of her money unnoticed by her, Felicia has no choice but to accept the offer. He promises to help her find Johnny. In fact, he tracks down Johnny, but does not contact him and does not tell Felicia about it, as he has plans of his own for her.

In some scenes the viewer learns that Hilditch has installed a camera in his car with which he is filming young hitchhikers. He has confidential talks with the women, all of whom are in personal distress. In some scenes he becomes palpable when women who have seen through him want to leave his car. It's not explicitly shown, but Hilditch is apparently a serial killer.

Flashbacks show that Hilditch's mother, when he was a child, was a well-known and successful cook who had her own TV show. The boy occasionally appeared as an extra in the recordings of the program by giving her a few handouts. The overweight boy, who occasionally ruined a scene with his awkwardness, always looked very unhappy. The aged Hilditch spends most of his evening free time watching video recordings of his mother's programs and cooking up her recipes.

After Felicia has lived with Hilditch for a few days and he tells her that she would never find Johnny, he persuades her to have an abortion. Felicia has the abortion performed. Later that day, he gave the exhausted Felicia an overdose of sleeping pills with the intention of killing her. While he is digging a grave in the garden of his house, the young woman wakes up and realizes what is going on. She tries to escape. Hilditch can intercept them at the front door, but then lets them go. Then he hangs himself in his kitchen.

The only thing the viewer learns about Felicia's fate is that she returns to her homeland unscathed and finds a job as a gardener.

Reviews

Roger Ebert wrote in the Chicago Sun-Times on November 19, 1999 that the film tells about two people on the run from their parents. Understanding the two main characters is the key to understanding the film. No scene is sentimental; the film works mainly on the subconscious level. However, the viewer appreciates him a lot more after a while than immediately after the end of the film. (" You leave" Felicia's Journey "appreciating it. A week later, you're astounded by it. ")

Volker Marquardt described the film in the magazine Cinema as " bizarre and depressing "; he illuminates " the darker zones of the human psyche ". The " depiction of the wolf in sheep's clothing between the dominant mother, fretting and panic fear of femininity " seems " overly constructed ". The director buried " his psychological thriller under a pile of kitchen table psychology ".

The magazine TV direkt 24/2007 described the film as " threatening " and " intense ". He gives you goose bumps.

Awards

Atom Egoyan was nominated for the Palme d'Or and the Golden Spike of the Semana Internacional de Cine de Valladolid in 1999. Paul Sarossy was honored for his camera work in 1999 at the Semana Internacional de Cine de Valladolid.

Atom Egoyan as screenwriter, Bob Hoskins, Mychael Danna and Paul Sarossy won the Genie Award in 2000 . The six other nominations for the Genie Award included those for Atom Egoyan as Director, for Elaine Cassidy and for Best Picture . Elaine Cassidy and Atom Egoyan as screenwriters were nominated for the 2000 Golden Satellite Award . Atom Egoyan as a director was nominated for the Bodil in 2000. Bob Hoskins was nominated for the Chlotrudis Award in 2000. Paul Sarossy was nominated for the Canadian Society of Cinematographers Award in 2000.

background

The film was shot in London [Murray Road, Wimbledon], Birmingham , Shepperton Studios and Ireland . Its world premiere took place in May 1999 at the Cannes International Film Festival and on August 25, 1999 it was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival . The film grossed around 820,000 US dollars in selected US cinemas and around 139,000 pounds sterling in British cinemas .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Film review by Roger Ebert, accessed December 7, 2007
  2. ^ Film review by Volker Marquardt, accessed December 7, 2007
  3. ↑ TV direkt 24/2007, page 156
  4. ^ Filming locations for Felicia's Journey, accessed December 7, 2007
  5. ↑ Felicia's Journey premiere dates, accessed December 7, 2007
  6. ↑ Box office / business for Felicia's Journey, accessed December 7, 2007