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MY LIFE SO FAR Send This Review to a Friend
Children can be counted on to see all and hear all, even if they don't yet have the adult savvy that enables them to understand everything whirling around them. The charm of "My Life So Far" is that it's told from the viewpoint of an observant 10-year-old named Fraser (Robert Norman), and in the course of the film, set in the Scottish Highlands, we get acquainted with interesting characters and are witness to explosive relationships. There's a lot for Fraser--and us--to take in.
Colin Firth, an actor who needs to be appreciated more, plays Edward, Fraser's father, who is an inventor and a man much misunderstood. The boy's mother, who has five other children, is played by Elizabeth Mastrantonio. Other skilled performances in key parts include Rosemary Harris as Gamma, the elderly ruler of the clan, Malcolm McDowell, as Uncle Morris, the potential heir to the stately old home named Kiloran House, and Irene Jacob as Heloise, his French fiancee.
The major upheaval is generated by Uncle Morris when he brings home his attractive lady. Jacob is an irresistible actress of great beauty. With a catalyst like her, a storm is clearly brewing.
Hugh Hudson directs from a screenplay by Simon Donald based on Sir Denis Forman's memoir "Son of Adam." Although he film falls short of perfection, it has class, character, humor and the appeal of an involving story of family jealousies and resentments that are powerful and universally recognizable. Once again a film from abroad proves itself more worthy than so much of our domestic fare. A Miramax release.
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