Passion Fish (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
Successful soap opera actress May-Alice Culhane (Mary McDonnell) is paralyzed from the waist down in a Manhattan car accident in 'Passion Fish' (written & directed by John Sayles). Self-pitying & embittered, she returns to her now-empty family home in the bayous of Louisiana, where she drinks heavily, lies on her couch, watches TV, yells at it, bitches to prospective live-in nurses, and then casts them away in the 1st 20 minutes of the film. A few are hired, but they quit soon thereafter because she is so unbearable to deal with. Then, however, the nurse agency sends Chantelle (Alfre Woodard), a sullen woman whose stubbornness nearly matches Mary-Alice's -- if only because Chantelle, herself, has her own personal demons to overcome, and cannot afford to lose this job.
Against her early wishes, Mary-Alice does stop drinking, follows Chantelle's therapy schedule, & even takes up photography. She even gets offered her NY job back, but the acting role exploits her permanent injury and she turns it down. Though Mary-Alice & Chantelle's mutual dislike is apparent, over time, the dislike gradually develops into a truce as the 2 women deal with their own issues, & help to emotionally heal each other.
'Passion Fish', which features powerful performances from both McDonnell & Woodard, embodies 2 tried-&-true character motifs: 1) the growth of a relationship btwn. 2 mismatched people. And 2) the personal fight of someone to conquer a disability. Quick note on McDonnell: it's a testament to her acting skills how she allows May-Alice's southern accent to slowly reassert itself with the passing of time. Unfolding with a languorous pace, 'Passion Fish' is mostly concerned with the hearts & minds of its characters (that includes a nice portrayal by David Strathairn as McDonnell's long lost love). Plot incident is of secondary concern.
The film is also well-crafted. And though the cinematography isn't epic in scope, there's still something about the Louisiana bayous & wetlands (with the windblown trees, tall grass, snakes, & alligators) that arrests attention. I would say that 'Passion Fish' is a movie for those of us who enjoy watching realistic people struggle through crises in the wake of tragedy, and find a 'way' out. John Sayles writes smart dialogue, gets all the tiny (and large) life details right, & keeps his script away from the melodrama that always seems to rear its head in films about the malcontented and/or debilitated. 'Passion Fish' a small film about spiritual transformation, internal struggles, & unexpected changes. I chuckled at the humor, I empathized with the dramatic moments -- it's just a very solid movie.
Against her early wishes, Mary-Alice does stop drinking, follows Chantelle's therapy schedule, & even takes up photography. She even gets offered her NY job back, but the acting role exploits her permanent injury and she turns it down. Though Mary-Alice & Chantelle's mutual dislike is apparent, over time, the dislike gradually develops into a truce as the 2 women deal with their own issues, & help to emotionally heal each other.
'Passion Fish', which features powerful performances from both McDonnell & Woodard, embodies 2 tried-&-true character motifs: 1) the growth of a relationship btwn. 2 mismatched people. And 2) the personal fight of someone to conquer a disability. Quick note on McDonnell: it's a testament to her acting skills how she allows May-Alice's southern accent to slowly reassert itself with the passing of time. Unfolding with a languorous pace, 'Passion Fish' is mostly concerned with the hearts & minds of its characters (that includes a nice portrayal by David Strathairn as McDonnell's long lost love). Plot incident is of secondary concern.
The film is also well-crafted. And though the cinematography isn't epic in scope, there's still something about the Louisiana bayous & wetlands (with the windblown trees, tall grass, snakes, & alligators) that arrests attention. I would say that 'Passion Fish' is a movie for those of us who enjoy watching realistic people struggle through crises in the wake of tragedy, and find a 'way' out. John Sayles writes smart dialogue, gets all the tiny (and large) life details right, & keeps his script away from the melodrama that always seems to rear its head in films about the malcontented and/or debilitated. 'Passion Fish' a small film about spiritual transformation, internal struggles, & unexpected changes. I chuckled at the humor, I empathized with the dramatic moments -- it's just a very solid movie.