Photographing Fairies (1997)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Nick Willing

Writers:

Chris Harrald (written by)
Steve Szilagyi (book)

Release Date:

19 September 1997 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Mystery

Plot:

Photographer Charles Castle is numbed with grief following the death of his beautiful bride. He goes off to war...

Plot Keywords:

Death | Fairy | Capital Punishment | Surrealism | 1910s

Awards:

5 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Toby Stephens	...	Charles Castle
Emily Woof	...	Linda
Ben Kingsley	...	Reverend Templeton
Frances Barber	...	Beatrice Templeton
Philip Davis	...	Roy (as Phil Davis)
Hannah Bould	...	Clara Templeton
Miriam Grant	...	Ana Templeton
Rachel Shelley	...	Mrs. Anne-Marie Castle
Edward Hardwicke	...	Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Clive Merrison	...	Gardner
Stephen Churchett	...	Mr. Dawson
Mary Healey	...	Mrs. Dawson
Maggie Wells	...	Mrs. Hoopdriver
Richenda Carey	...	Fierce Woman
Jeremy Young	...	Des

Also Known As:

Apparition (Australia) (video box title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some sexuality.

Runtime:

106 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Iceland:12 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:MA | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:R(A) | Spain:13 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Arts Council of England

Trivia:

Edward Hardwicke, who plays Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, has played Conan Doyle's Dr. Watson many times.

Movie Connections:

Version of FairyTale: A True Story (1997)

Fantastic and Beautiful

If you have cable and the SciFi Channel, you may have had the

pleasure of catching this little gem. I kept seeing it in parts and

even in the little snippets, it drew me in and had such a haunting

quality. It was on the other night and I just sat and watched it all the

way through and despite the fact that I'd seen some scenes

before, it still held such a wonderful presence. It's hard to really

describe the movie -- part love story, part fantasy, with a little bit of

the Big Question over exactly what the afterlife is. The

cinematography is absolutely picturesque, almost like watching a

Merchant Ivory production, but with a bit of fairy magic thrown in.

Ben Kingsley is an interesting addition to the cast. I wish there

was more characterization done on all the main roles. You get a

sense of where everyone comes from in terms of motivation, but

more background would have made for a richer film. The pace is

sometimes inconsistent, moving quickly in the beginning, then

slowing, then speeding up again. But the film's dry English wit

makes for enjoyable moments of irreverence. It's still just an

overall beautiful film. Very bittersweet and heartbreaking in

moments. The end is shot with such care and emotion. As

fantastic as the premise is, the heart of the movie is something

everyone can understand -- the loss of a loved one and the chance

to rekindle a spirit burdened with sorrow. A funny bit of irony -- the

actor who played Watson in the BBC Sherlock Holmes series is in

this movie and he plays (har har har) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.