Thaddeus O'Sullivan should be congratulated in making a very fine film out of Rosamond Lehmann's 20th century classic novel ' The Echoing Grove ' and mu one and only gripe is that the title changed to the banal ' The Heart of Me '. That said the story of two sisters and their relationship with a weak man ( who is also the erotic focus of the film ) is a complete triumph. The trio or should I saw the quartet of the main actors, Olivia Williams, as Marianne, the wife of the man Rickie played by Paul Bettany, Helena Bonham Carter as Dinah, Marianne's sister and Eleanor Bron as Rickie's mother are superb. And to bury the myth that this is in any way a sort of Merchant/Ivory film is necessary. Heresy though it may be, but the direction is nearer to a Bergman film in its intensity and concentration than anything Merchant/Ivory made, good though they were. O'Sullivan has a clear voice and it saddens me that this film was not the success it should have been. The mental cruelty within this quartet is overwhelming, especially when the mother lies to her son about where the one of the two sisters he really loves is. The scene during a Blitz on London, as the film takes place between a ten year period from the 1930's to WW2 is perfection in itself. It is also in no way a costume drama, and shows a total almost Bressonian reticence in ' showing off ' superfluous imagery. It is very, very difficult to find and fortunately I have it. So why is it lost ? A timeless film despite its period it should be seen for what it is, a great film.
Review of The Heart of Me
