Traces of a life

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Movie
German title Traces of a life
Original title Evening
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 2007
length approx. 117 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director Lajos Koltai
script Susan Minot ,
Michael Cunningham
production Michael Cunningham ,
Jeff Sharp
music Jan AP Kaczmarek
camera Gyula Pados
cut Allyson C. Johnson
occupation

Traces of life (Evening) is an American film drama from the year 2007 . Directed by Lajos Koltai , the screenplay was written by Susan Minot and Michael Cunningham based on Susan Minot's 1998 novel Wedding Night (Evening) .

action

The terminally ill Ann Lord, who is being cared for by a nurse, calls her daughters Constance and Nina to her home. She tells them about events that go back 50 years when she was still living under her maiden name, Ann Grant , and about a hitherto unknown Harris Arden, whose existence had been a secret for 50 years and whom she loved more than anything .

In 1954 she had traveled to Newport to become the bridesmaid of her college friend, Lila Wittenborn. Flashbacks that mix with the present tell how the young Ann Grant stood by her friend at her wedding because Lila actually married the wrong man, a certain Carl. In reality, however, she loves someone else: Harris Arden, a doctor friend of the Wittenborn family. But Harris never returned Lila's feelings. On the other hand, he is immediately fascinated by the pretty Ann who has just arrived. It doesn't take long before the two get closer, dance together, kiss and spend a night together. This in turn cannot cope with Lila's brother Buddy, with whom Ann is close friends, and gets drunk. The night ends in a tragic accident that Ann will never forget.

These memories plague old Ann on her deathbed. Harris was the love of her life, but after the passionate night they parted ways again. Ann has gone through several unfulfilled marriages, abandoned a career as a singer, and raised her children. Harris now calls it a mistake because he never let go of it.

In the present, Lila Wittenborn comes to visit her sick friend. She provides the daughter Nina - who is now investigating the unknown husband - with background information.

Reviews

James Berardinelli wrote on ReelViews that the "power of script and performance" would ensure "two satisfactory hours of romance, drama and tragedy". The storyline set in 1954 - which has a little more screen time and depth - is more interesting than the other. The cast is as close to a "female dream team" as you can imagine. Claire Danes show maturity; the reviewer also mentioned Vanessa Redgrave, Glenn Close, Meryl Streep, Eileen Atkins, Toni Collette and Mamie Gummer, who is a daughter of Meryl Streep and plays the same character as her mother (of different ages). Natasha Richardson, a daughter of Vanessa Redgrave, also plays the daughter of Vanessa Redgrave in the film.

Justin Chang wrote in Variety magazine on June 25, 2007 that the film was a "hyped up" study of mortality, repentance, and the nature of women from different generations. Strong literature and a powerful cast would appeal to a discerning audience. The film with seemingly random leaps in time lacks a fixed narrative rhythm (“difficulty in establishing a narrative rhythm”). The director brings his experience as a cameraman to the table by contrasting the images from the scenes from the 1950s and the darker scenes from the present.

The lexicon of international film judges: “Although melodrama tends to be frayed when juggling time levels, it still offers some strong scenes thanks to excellent performance. Otherwise, the well-known film is not very well staged. "

backgrounds

The film was shot in New York City and Rhode Island . Its world premiere took place on June 9, 2007 at the Newport International Film Festival , four days later it was shown at the Nantucket Film Festival . On June 29, 2007, it was widely released in cinemas in the United States, where the film grossed around 12.4 million US dollars . The German theatrical release followed on January 10, 2008.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Film review by James Berardinelli, accessed November 7, 2007
  2. ↑ Justin Chang's review, accessed November 7, 2007
  3. ↑ Traces of a Life. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed May 9, 2017 .Template: LdiF / Maintenance / Access used 
  4. ^ Filming locations for Evening, accessed November 7, 2007
  5. ↑ Evening premiere dates, accessed November 7, 2007
  6. ↑ Box office / business for Evening, accessed November 7, 2007