Anchor and Hope

Anchor and Hope (2017) is an English movie co-written and directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet. The film stars Oona Chaplin as Eva, and Natalia Tena as Kat. They are happily in love. They do, indeed, live in a houseboat.

The situation changes when Kat invites her childhood friend Roger to stay with them in the houseboat for "a few days or weeks." It doesn't take an large leap of imagination to expect that two women together is one matter, but two women and one man together is something very different. That's where the plot takes off.

This picture is billed in the hype as that "sexual orientation isn't really a plot point. Nobody comes out. There are no homophobic characters or issues. It's essentially a romantic comedy/drama that happens to feature a lesbian couple." Don't believe it. It's a lesbian film. What's wrong with that?

I think it's a very good movie, with an interesting plot and great acting by all three lead actors. I recommend it.

We saw this movie at Rochester's Little Theatre as part of Image Out, the excellent Rochester LGBT Film Festival. It will work almost as well on the small screen.

P.S. Look for Geraldine Chaplin in the supporting role of Germaine, Eva's mother. We know that she is, indeed, Oona Chaplin's mother. Great casting!

The motion picture ¨Tierra Firme¨or ¨Anchor and Hope¨(2017) was innovatively but imperfectly directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet , here Marques adapts to the times and find a particular romance in the ways people are living today; concerning two women, Eva and Kat, and the best friend of one of them. At 38 years old, Eva (Oona Chaplin) fears that her biological clock is about to stop forever, but her girlfriend Kat (Natalia Tena) doesn't want a newborn to alter the free and carefree existence that they both live on a boat in the London canals . When Roger (David Verdaguer) arrives from his visit from Barcelona, Eva not only sees him as her girlfriend's best friend, but also as the best emotional ally imaginable, as well as a potential donor. A boat in the canals of London and a question: Is it possible to live love, family, and life in such different ways and yet remain united?

With a sober and austere staging and relying exclusively on the three protagonists the director puts together a romantic tale with brief touches of drama, but full of foul language ,sexual scenes and resulting in a mediocre and boring film. We immediately see that the story is going to be told from some unorthodox perspectives with many scenes on a boat. It may sometimes be 'hipster' and artificial, but at the same time it is endowed with an emotional handwriting full of subtlety, but everything is ruined due to innocuous as well as lousy dialogue, swearing, sex and other ridiculous events. Despite its low budget the picture manages to be intelligent at times, but also a little bit dull, it becomes overlong and heavy to follow. The good thing about this film is that the director made it on a shoestring budget only having to do a few sets, yet the movie partially works on various levels but is eventually reconfigured. Second feature film by Carlos Marqués after his celebrated debut '10,000 kilometres', he repeats the cast with David Verdaguer (Los días que vendrán, Lo dejo cuando quiero) , and Natalia Tena (Game of Thrones, Harry Potter saga), along with Oona Chaplin (Proyecto Lázaro, El hijo de Cain) and the special appearance of Geraldine Chaplin (Doctor Zhivago). Oona Chaplin and Geraldine Chaplin are daughter and mother in real life and in this film. Oona Chaplin and Natalia Tena both previously starred in Black Mirror and Game of thrones together. While David Verdaguer is considered to be, nowadays, one of the best Spanish actors, even this year he has received the Goya for best actor for his extraordinary performance in 'Saben aquell'.

¨Anchor and Hope¨(2017) contains a atmospheric cinematography by cameraman Dagmar Weaver-Madsen shot on location in Regent's Canal, London, England, United Kingdom. There are also some attractive songs, such as: ¨Sweat (A La La La La Long)¨ written by Ian Lewis performed by Inner Circle; ¨Yo vendo unos ojos negros¨ performed by Natalia Tena; ¨Oh! Susanna¨ written by Stephen Foster, performed by Oona Chaplin.

The movie , a Lastor Media Production in co-production with La Panda, Venner Production Companies was mediocre but professionally made. Carlos Marques-Marcet directed from a script he co-wrote with Jules Nurrish, based on the book "Maternidades Subversivas" by Maria Llopis . Carlos Marques-Marcet is a fine editor, writer and director , known for Shorts such as ¨The Yellow Ribbon¨ (2012) and ¨I'll Be Alone¨ (2010) , being his first film : ¨It Felt Like Love¨ (2013) , followed by ¨10.000 Km¨ (2014), the latter is a techno-romance story developing an insightful and stirring love story for the technology age, even Broad Green Pictures acquired U. S. distribution and international sales rights from Visit Films for this love story. ¨Anchor and Hope¨ (2017) won award Best film in a non-Catalan language and Best actor at the Gaudi awards.

A good script on how two alternative fun loving females living on a canal boat in London enlist the aid of a male friend to impregnate one of them so that they can have a child. For drama a couple of issues arise. However there are several not shown problems. First, it's safer to have a clinic collect the donor's sperm. Second, houseboat living has it's low consumption lifestyle, low rental (moorage fees), alternative living positives, but there are thousands of houseboats on the crowded (not shown in movie) waterways. They must continuously move every few days to a a couple of weeks. Potable water, electricity, sewage, engine problems, fuel smell, weather, basic comfort are problems, and the canal water doesn't look the healthiest.

Two lesbians (Oona Chaplin and Natalia Tena) are living on a houseboat, and friend Roger (David Verdaguer) comes to stay with them. Much discussion and angst over whether to have Roger help them have a baby. drinking, crying, arguing. more arguing, angst, discussions. Great, respectful treatment of the lesbian relationship, and their interaction with the straight friend. only one of this group seems to have a job... wondering what the other two do for money?? it's never discussed. It's pretty good. Yes, Oona is the grand-daughter of hollywood great Charlie Chaplin. and her mother Geraldine plays Germaine in this very film! Tena and Verdaguer had made 10,000 KM together back in 2014. that was ALSO directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet. Anchor is quite good. some fun stuff. some serious stuff. great acting, directing.

Eva and Kat are in their 30s. They live a perfectly Bohemian life on a barge that they periodically move along the Regents canal in London. The desire of parenthood felt by Eva and the arrival of Kat's best friend Roger will shake their lives. This film explores personal aspirations, affection and communication within a couple when role models are lacking. The result is a beautiful portrait and the certainty that life can be what we make of it.