Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6808 in DVD
• Brand: VHS Tape
• Model: MP236V
• Released on: 2003-07-21
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
• Formats: PAL, Anamorphic, Colour, Surround Sound, Dolby
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 93 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Eerie, morbid, yet somehow life-affirming, Morvern Callar stars the superb Samantha Morton (Sweet and Lowdown, Minority Report) as the title character, a young Scottish woman whose boyfriend has just killed himself, leaving behind a cassette of assorted songs and an unpublished novel. Instead of reporting his death, Morvern puts her name on his novel before sending it off to a publisher, then uses the dead man's bank card to pay for a trip to Spain with her friend Lana (Kathleen McDermott), where she tries to lose herself in sensation and chaos. The events of Morvern Callar suggest a story, but director Lynn Ramsay (Ratcatcher) focuses on moments of ambiguity and ambivalence between the sequences of dramatic action--and when Morvern does take decisive action, her choices are unnerving. The movie's striking images and rich use of colour vividly capture a dislocated state of mind, when life has come unmoored from meaning. --Bret Fetzer

Synopsis
The role of the aimless young rebel hiding behind an emotional wall and steely eyes has been monopolized by men in the movies since James Dean. Samantha Morton, one of her generation's most gifted actors, makes the most of her opportunity to embody such a figure in her role as the title character of MORVERN CALLAR. Momentarily frozen by the suicide of her boyfriend, Morvern mines two words from his brief suicide note: be brave. Finally removing his body from the apartment floor, she buries her boyfriend, pocketing the funeral money he left. She also courts publishers, claiming authorship of the novel he left behind as his legacy. Her new financial freedom and sense of mortality brings Morvern, joined by her co-worker Lana (Kathleen McDermott), out of her bleak surroundings to a Spanish resort where the two are surrounded by fellow clubbers.


Lynne Ramsay (RATCATCHER) evokes emotion through landscape as Morvern and Lana flee the dreary Scottish winter for a Spanish coastal town bathed in sunlight. Working from Alan Warner's novel, Ramsay uses powerful imagery and a soundtrack vacillating between contemplative silence, abrasive sound effects, and hip music to create a purely cinematic work, avoiding the trappings of an adaptation.

Customer Reviews

Turns an average book into a truly dire film
I have mixed feelings about Alan Warner's book, regarding some parts of it as brilliant, but others as utterly banal and tedious. The story was good, original, well thought out and truly shocking in parts, but one of the main strengths of the novel was the way in which he built his fictional characters, through descriptions of both them and their actions, into ones that were truly believable.

So at worst this should have been an average film, but the film takes so many liberties with Alan Warner's story (mainly by cutting out the good bits) that the film bears only a superficial resemblance to the book. It is particularly sad that so many of the characters, whose heady mix of boredom, unfulfilled ambitions and alcohol and drug abuse helped to create an air of authenticity, were simply left out of the film, leaving only Morvern and her one friend. This is also true of most of the more dramatic moments in the book, such as Morvern's blind panic when she returns from a driving lesson to find workmen taking tiles off the roof next door to the roof space where she has hidden her boyfriend's dead body. What bits of the book are not left out are mostly distorted beyond recognition. If this was all not bad enough, the film is made much worse by absolutely terrible camera work, cinematographic effects and acting - was it really Samantha Morton? Overall, rather than an air of professionalism, the film has all the hallmarks and worst excesses of a truly amateur first year student film project. I have given the film 1 star with reluctance as this implies that I have given it twenty percent of the maximum 5 star score, whereas I consider it a clear candidate for zero stars if that were possible. One of the worst films I have watched in some time and an insult to Warner's book.

Beautifully morbid
Warning: 'mini'-spoiler present!

I'll try to keep this brief as I think this is one of those films which benefits from being viewed without reading any hype about it beforehand. Also, it did actually get released quite a while ago, however, I'm aware of the criticisms it received due to its less than electric pace and disturbing plot, and feel so incensed by people having dismissed the film that I feel I have to stick up for this little treasure!

It really is an excellent, beautiful and subtle film by the fantastic Lynne Ramsay who concentrates more on the colour and beauty of the film rather than the plot. Morvern Callar is filled with shot after shot of morbid, depressing yet mesmerising photography. Her use of startling colour and tones of grey guide us through the film allowing the narrative to just fall into place whilst we are admire the cinematography.

The film was not well received by some audiences (even though praised by critics) due to the subtlety (some would say boring-ness and lack of an obvious 'story'), and a lack of understanding about the things Morvern gets up to in the film. But it was never about being a typical drug-orientated free-love hippie movie. Morvern Callar's boyfriend commits suicide. She does not know what to do. Thus the chain of events which follow this incomprehensible traumatic event.

Ramsay's attention to detail focus on this feeling of being lost and going into social decline. It's not 'too deep' and for the 'elite' (webjester, Maryland, IMDb.com, a typical less than impressed viewer), and yes, it is not usually the case that girlfriends cut up the body of their recently deceased partners- but that is not what the film is about.
It's not a 'fun' film. And it's quite likely you wouldn't want to watch this more than a few times, but only because it is so powerfully bleak and discomforting. It is certainly not predictable, which makes it more interesting than your typical film. You never know how Morvern is going to react simply because she is not the usual likeable protagonist of the film; she is shown to be insensitive, emotionless, and oblivious and numb to all around her. Ramsay does not try to get the audience to sympathise with Morvern. It is refreshing to watch a protagonist you feel contempt and yet pity for. It is also equally (if not more) refreshing to watch a film about the cold-heartedness and basic oddness of society. Lovely.

fabulously beautiful
Please don't take any notice of the synopsis above. It makes 'Morven Callar' sound like a 'Thelma & Louise' type women vs men flick. It is infact a beautiful film about finding yourself, grief, friendship and submerging yourself completely in someone's love. Despite her boyfriend's suicide she emerges at the end excited by the opportunities life can throw at you and takes her boyfriend along with her at every step.

True, it is slowly paced, and at times I find the imagery a little self-indulgent. But it is beautifully shot throughout, contains some amazing scenery and provides some fabulously realistic party scenes. Plus the soundtrack is amazing. So sit back and relax and go with it.

It is thoroughly uplifting and inspiring by the end. Plus Morven is a completely likeable character in a non-sickly or manipulative way.

I urge you to see this film.