Mrs. Lowry and Son

source: Mrs. Lowry and Son

In Adrian Noble's virtual two-hander "Mrs Lowry & Son", the son is the painter L.S. Lowry and this beautifully detailed chamber piece is about his relationship with his cantankerous mother, who not only took no pleasure in her son's work but actively discouraged him. It's an actor's piece and since the actors are Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall it's a magnificent one. There's no great dramas here, just the simple banalities of everyday life, which in the hands of these great artists becomes great art. When finally Lowry rebels, (in his own almost insignificant way), against his mother's brutal put-downs it's like being inside an erupting volcano. It's also very theatrical and the director is indeed better known for his stage work and while it moves very slowly is never boring. This is a glimpse into the 'real' world as opposed to the fantasy world mostly served up in the cinema today. It has its own beauty and is deeply moviing; I think it's a small gem.

What a wonderful representation of Lowry's life with his mother. Timothy Small as Lowry and Vanessa Redgrave as his mother were fantastic. So authentic like the artist. How does anyone survive lack of understanding or interest and so many put downs, art critics telling you you paint like a kid, and someone you love being embarrassed by you and your 'hobby' . And yet he still carries on, not because he thinks he is something special: 'I am just a man, who paints', but almost like he has to. And he stays true to himself.

Made on a limited budget, this slightly stagey account of the years where the celebrated artist tried to make his mark is a real acting masterclass. Spall and Redgrave are superb, with understated performances that perfectly encapsulate the struggling artist who seems on a career to nowhere and his social status obsessed invalid mother who sees herself as middle class but somehow in a working class environment. The plot may be slight and it does have a very theatrical feel to it but the dynamic between the two leads and the feel of mid 1930s lancashire are really strong. Some wonderful interaction between Spall and Redgrave is punctuated with some splendid trick photography as we see scenes of people and places through the artists eyes. It's a not a showy overblown film but an introverted one that shows how poorly the artist was perceived at the time but with a glimmer of hope that better times lay ahead. The scene where time stops and Lowry walks between workers leaving a factory is particularly memorable. The perfect antidote to the smash, bashy, crashy big budget action films of the summer. A wonderful character driven story with two great actors who bring pathos to the story.

Biopic drama, stars Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall, both members of British acting royalty. The film depicts the life and times of a much loved British artist and the inspiration behind his iconic paintings, a character study that explores the complicated relationship between the artist and his overbearing, bedridden, depressive mother. Though this is a simple plot, you can really feel the pain that Lowry suffered while caring for his mother, who discourages his efforts, and never acknowledges his gift for portraying painting of the industrial north of England. Recommended viewing.

This is a mesmerizingly slow film set almost entirely in one room..... it could almost be a play. However Adrian Noble thankfully focuses on the two main actors and we are gradually sucked in to their closed little world. Both Spall and Redgrave give towering complementary performances which keep the audience completely entranced from the beginning. Redgrave especially manages to create a relentlessly critical and bitter character without the viewer ever hating her for it.. and Spall has grown into a confident and creative character actor of the highest order. Beautiful cinematography and set design make this film artistically watchable. If you like slow burning drama then this is a treat.

This is a gem, precious in every way, and makes you wonder how much longer we'll be able to invest this kind of attention and feeling into film. Half a generation more? I'm beginning to understand the internet, ratings, and what they mean about who we are. They point, just not in the right way.

Mrs. Lowry and Son: Oh but it rained in Pendlebury, the Limerick of Angela's Ashes was suffering a drought in comparison. In this Dark Satanic Mill Town, L.S. Lowry (Timothy Spall) is caring for his aged infirm mother, Elizabeth (Vanessa Redgrave). It's not easy, she is disappointed in him. 25 years as a rent collector without promotion. Elizabeth was also frustrated at her husband's lack of success, she had aspirations for a better life but ended up in a two up two down terraced house, Redgrave is superb in her portrayal of Mrs. Lowry, cantankerous, ever worried about keeping up appearances, sometimes happy but never really approving of Lowry. Totally dismissive of his art, she only likes a painting because a new neighbour of "the right class" expresses an interest in it. Spall as Lowry mostly delivers an understated performance, he greets most of his mothers utterances with wry humour, it is only her dismissal of his talent which really irritates him. But the joy and pride he feels when his work is being considered for exhibition in London transforms him. He is middle-aged, has no relationship, but he paints. He paints what he sees. In spite of her crankiness he loves his mother, he just wants her to appreciate that he is an artist and that his painting is not just a hobby. Fortunately the never ceasing rain helps to frustrate Lowry's plans when in a moment of despair/rage he attempts to burn his paintings. Mostly set in Mrs. Lowry's bedroom the film does have some of the feel of a stage-play but a witty, emphatic script by Martin Hesford and clever direction by Adrian Noble allows it to transcend these limitations. 8/10.

A beautiful little gem, superbly acted by Spall and Redgrave. Totally surprised by the low critics reviews.

This marvelous film is steeped in Beckettian tropes and style. The mother son relationship is akin to Hamm and Clov in 'Endgame', or it might be Winnie in 'Happy Days'. Even the reality of Lowry and his mother is not so far from Beckett and his own fractious relationship with his mother. Vanessa Redgrave even resembles Beckett as an old man with his spectacles. The film echoes Beckett's maxim, 'to fail again, fail better' almost with the same sense as Lowry follows his own path against the odds and faces years of rejection and hostility, not the least from his mother who lacks imagination and only understands what she sees, not the meaning. Indeed the film has a very strong layers of social history in it as it reveals the neuroses and social anxieties of the period in England. The excellent script is matched by admirable directing and editing together with technical features to make the 1930s flat and town vivid. And then there are performances from Spall and Redgrave which are the pinnacle of skill and empathy. It is a consummate and perfectly poised interaction between the two. If only other films gave their audience as much.