Morvern Callar

Summary

When Fun City Editions first announced their release of the Lynne Ramsay film Morvern Callar, I blind bought the film based on strong reviews and its killer soundtrack. Despite a few months passing by, I had not yet found the time to watch the film until the night before my interview with Jonathan Hertzberg. I was completely bowled over by it. Morvern Callar is an adaptation of a novel of the same name by Alan Warner. The screenplay was written by Liana Dognini and the director of the film Lynne Ramsay. Morvern Callar is a film that deals with profound grief, but it also is a rumination on the small pleasures of life in general. Samantha Morton plays the titular character. This should have been a star making role, but at the very least Morvern Callar guaranteed her a long and lasting career as an actress. The soundtrack from Morvern Callar is a mixtape of numerous bands of the ambient genre from that time – Aphex Twin, Boards of Canada, and some other bands that record collectors would recognize and appreciate (such as Ween, Can, and Stereolab.) For many people that grew up during that time, myself included, the film will serve as an excellent time capsule for that era. Fans of dramas that explore sadness and grief should find the film incredibly engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

My synopsis includes spoilers from the first moments of the film. These are unavoidable to discuss the plot. It is highly recommended that you skip my synopsis and allow the film to surprise you with its content.

It is close to Christmas time. Grocery store worker Morvern Callar (Samantha Morton) wakes up and finds that her boyfriend has killed himself in their apartment. His dead body is next to their tiny plastic Christmas tree that blinks on and off. She looks over and sees a computer screen which displays a message that says “READ ME.” There is a note of apology for his suicide, along with a document containing a finished manuscript for a novel. Morvern takes his name off of the novel and inserts her own. He has also left behind a couple Christmas presents and a mixtape for her. Morvern decides that instead of arranging a funeral for him, she would rather pocket the cash he left for funeral expenses. She sends the manuscript to the publisher mentioned in the note. She tells her coworker at the supermarket, Lanna, (Kathleen McDermott) that her boyfriend has left her. After a few days of grieving, she cuts his body up and buries him in the mountains. She plans a trip with Lanna to Spain with the funeral money and heads out listening to the mixtape and adapting to her grief.

Morvern Callar is an exceptionally well made film. The direction by Lynne Ramsay with the assistance of cinematographer Alwin H. Kuchler is wonderful. The cinematography of the picture is visually appealing, especially in the portion of the film that takes place in Spain. Lynne Ramsay was a photographer before she was a director and it shows in the film. The film manages to take the interior monologue of the film and convey all the emotions of the titular character without the use of voiceover, flashbacks, or any other easy devices. We experience the grief of the character as an observer. Samantha Morton is completely fearless in the role. For example, in one sequence she allows the camera to linger on her as she bathes and weeps. It is an extremely vulnerable place to put yourself on camera and she allows the audience into the mind space of the character by doing so. The subject matter of the film is not easy, but the film is not what I would consider depressing in the sense that Morvern holds onto hope. By partying in Spain with a friend she seems to find glimmers of happiness. The film is definitely one-of-a-kind and incredibly unique, but those willing to watch a film that tackles the subject of grief should find the experience really rewarding.

Morvern Callar is helped by an amazing soundtrack that features Can, Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin, and more (Stereolab, Ween, Velvet Underground.) When Morvern Callar was released, I was seventeen and working at a CD Warehouse in Little Rock. I could honestly see any one of the bands featured in the soundtrack playing over the speakers of the record store I worked. Hearing them in the film took me back to a special time in my life. The music allows the film to feel like a time capsule of that time and place. The soundtrack is also interesting because it does not feature a score, and presenting the songs as Morvern would experience them. It helps to immerse the audience in the world of the main character.

I completely understand why so many people consider Morvern Callar to be extremely special. It is an excellent film. I highly encourage checking out the film.

Video

Morvern Callar has been brought to Blu-ray with a new 2K transfer that shines on the format. Lynne Ramsay has an excellent eye, and the cinematography in the film fully brings to life the inner emotions of the lead character. The film benefits from the visual allure of Spain, which always photographs beautifully. Morvern Callar is presented in 1.85:1 aspect ratio and the print is in excellent shape. Watching the film on my Epson 4K projector, I did not detect any downside to this transfer. Grain is well resolved and the picture looks great.

Audio

Fun City Editions has provided a DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround track in English. The music in the film gets the biggest boost from the surrounds with memorable moments featuring songs by Can, Boards of Canada, Aphex Twin and more. The music is a big element of the film and sounded fantastic coming through my speakers. The lack of a traditional score makes the soundtrack more prominent. Fans of the film will definitely be pleased to hear the film on Blu-ray and retire their old DVD.

Supplements:

• Commentary features film historians Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Josh Nelson. It is obvious that the two commentators are extremely excited to discuss the career of Lynne Ramsay and the film itself. This is a really informative and enjoyable track.
• “Somewhere Beautiful” – is a video essay by Chris O’Neill with a brief voiceover by Claire Loy. The essay shows how the film does a wonderful job of adapting the novel’s interior monologue without the easy shortcuts of a monologue. This short essay is rock solid and worth your time.
• U.K. Trailer and U.S. Trailer 

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 3.5/5

Overall – 4.5/5

Morvern Callar is an excellent drama that explores themes of loss, grief, and rejuvenation. Lynne Ramsay capably wrote the screenplay with Liana Dognini from a novel by Alan Warner. Lynne Ramsays directs the film with a career making performance from Samantha Morton. The cinematography by Alwin H. Kuchler is excellent and the great soundtrack captures that era perfectly (if you were listening to ambient music at the time.) I highly recommend checking out Morvern Callar if you enjoy somewhat melancholy films. The new 2K scan by Fun City Editions looks fantastic and should please all fans of the picture. Highly recommended.