Me Without You (2001)

Director:

Sandra Goldbacher

Writers:

Sandra Goldbacher (screenplay) and
Laurence Coriat (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 November 2001 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

From Sandra Goldbacher, writer/director of The Governess, comes a film about the agonies and ecstasies of friendship.

Plot:

Two best friends grow up on the outskirts of London in the 1970s and 1980s.

Plot Keywords:

Best Friend | 1970s | 1980s | Friendship | Virgin

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Ella Jones	...	Young Holly
Anna Popplewell	...	Young Marina
Cameron Powrie	...	Young Nat
Trudie Styler	...	Linda
Allan Corduner	...	Max
Deborah Findlay	...	Judith
Nicky Henson	...	Ray
Anna Friel	...	Marina
Michelle Williams	...	Holly
Oliver Milburn	...	Nat
Hannah Bourne	...	Carolyn
Russell Mabey	...	Craig (as Russell Maybey)
Blake Ritson	...	Tim
Francis Lee	...	Paul
Eve Cooper-Rose	...	Sophie

Also Known As:

Meine beste Freundin (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, sexual content and drug use.

Runtime:

USA:107 min | Germany:94 min (TV version)

Country:

UK | Germany

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:MA | Iceland:12 | UK:15 | USA:R | Italy:T

Filming Locations:

Isle of Man

Company:

Fireworks Pictures

Trivia:

While filming, Michelle Williams had to constantly fly back and forth between the UK and the North Carolina, USA to work on her television series _Dawson's Creek (1998)_.

Quotes:

Nat: Yeah. It was probably for the best.
Holly: Yes. Absolutely. Linda...Linda seems really good.
Nat: She gave us all a real shock. Isabelle was great. She's so sure- she really knows what she wants.

Movie Connections:

References Det sjunde inseglet (1957)

Soundtrack:

Whole Wide World

Bloody good show!

I'm a middle-aged white man, not a teen chick, and yet I must confess to having felt that this was a fine bit of work from so many POVs- and an entertaining package for their efforts.

Yes, there were times when it was too clear that the actresses were improvising their lines for a scene- but I could forgive it! There were far more instances where the lines were so spontaneously delivered that their candor felt just right, honesty beyond reproach.

The young women were excellent in their craft and sincerity. The screenplay was very believable, intelligent and did not pander- even if it tried too hard to include too much turmoil. The dialogue was delicious.

The direction was tentative in its lack of assurance (some moments that the cast ought to have been reined in rather than indulged) but mostly, the direction shows solid instinct and craft.

Finally, the cinematography is very fine. The framing and tracking show the viewer a smoothly handsome progress of scene and plot - without any trendy or self-conscious technical digression. Thank you, my friend, for your refusal to drown us in camera-shake!

All in all, I feel this was a fine project lovingly rendered by a sincere and generously talented team. As for their slight lack of self-confidence, it leads me to expect greater pleasure from their next work. This lot will not be undone by complacent ennui!