Plot: What’s it about?
Agnes Browne (Angelica Huston) has just had her life changed forever. She and her husband have seven children and though he works a lot, they have very little money saved. What money he does make they have to spend to keep a roof over their heads and food on their table. But when he suddenly dies, Agnes is left with their seven children and in a state of total desperation, as she has no money to support herself and her many kids. Soon she is forced to borrow money from a loan agent who is ruthless and cruel, but she begins to work as a street vendor to gain money to save. As she sells her fruits and such, she and her best friend Marion (Marion O’Dwyer) talk the time away and Marion tries to lift her friend’s spirits as much as she can. Agnes wishes she could escape this lifestyle just for a little while, long enough to attend a concert by her favorite artists, Tom Jones. With the help of her best friend, her children, and perhaps even a new friend, maybe Agnes will finally be able to rise above her lifestyle, if for only one night.
I missed this film when it played at the theaters, but I was looking forward to the home video release. The main reason I was interested was that Angelica Huston served as both actor and director on this film, which I think warrants a viewing at the least. Now USA has issued this movie on our beloved format and while I liked the movie, I think this is more of a rental, at least for me. I thought the writing was good, the acting was fantastic, and the direction was above average, but I just don’t think I’ll revisit this movie that much. I am not averse to this type of film either, so don’t think I am biased against “chick flicks” or the like. I watched this movie and liked it a lot, but I can’t rationalize this as a repeat viewing picture for me. I think if more humor had been infused into the storyline, then perhaps I would have come back to this one. But as it stands, I am recommending this terrific motion picture as a rental. USA has done fine work on the audio/video portion of this disc, but skimped on the extras, which makes this an even tougher sell as a purchase. If you like the movie and don’t need extras though, this disc is worth the asking price.
This film was directed by Angelica Huston, who also plays the lead role in the movie. Despite the pressures of both positions, Huston delivers in both counts and never seems to falter much on either front. As a director Huston doesn’t have much experience, but you’d never know it from watching her movies. This is only her second effort and while her first work (Bastard Out Of Carolina) was impressive, her work her serves as an improvement on that film. Huston seems more direct in her choices in this movie and never switches gears much, which gives the film a consistent feel. As an actor Huston is brilliant and gives another superb performance here. Huston (The Addams Family, Buffalo ’66) plays her rather basic character with depth and energy, which surprised me somewhat. The supporting cast is led by Marion O’Dwyer, who provides much of the film’s comedic relief. This was her first feature film, but O’Dwyer has experience in other fields of acting prior to this effort. Another notable name in the supporting cast is musician Tom Jones, who of course plays himself in the film. He isn’t asked to do much out of the ordinary, but he seems comfortable and at ease. The rest of the cast includes Gerard McSorley (Braveheart, Angela’s Ashes), Ray Winstone (Quadrophenia, Sexy Beast), Arno Chevrier (The Red Dwarf, Dead Tired), and June Rodgers.
Video: How does it look?
Agnes Browne is presented in a 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame version also included on this dual layered disc. The image looks a little rough at first, but quickly becomes sharp and well defined. This ends up being a very solid transfer and though it isn’t reference quality, I think fans of the flick will be pleased. The colors are based in a natural scope, but still retain some brightness and flesh tones seemed normal and warm at all times. I found no problems with the contrast either, as detail was always high and no shadow depth errors surfaced. I also detected no edge enhancement or other compression errors on this transfer, good work USA!
Audio: How does it sound?
This film doesn’t call much power from the speakers, so the included 2.0 surround track is more than adequate. This is a dialogue driven film and as such, little else is needed, but this track emerges as a fine one. The vocals sound crisp and clear at all times, with no volume or separation issues in the least. That is the vital element in this mix and this mix comes through with flying colors. The music is terrific and fitting with the material, but in this mix it serves more as background tone than anything. Still, it sounds very good and serves its purpose well. The sound effects are nothing to shout about, but then again this movie doesn’t contain any dynamic sequences in terms of audio. You’ll also find subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc contains the film’s theatrical trailer and some talent files, while the insert booklet houses some production notes.
