the girl in the cafe (2005)

"Sometime it falls upon a generation to be great. You can be that great generation."
Nelson Mandela, 2005

Saw this last night on a friend's recommendation (thanks Rory!), and am so grateful. Bill Nighy has never been better (and that's saying something): he's a highly placed civil servant seated at the right hand of the Chancellor of the Exchequer as Britain prepares to host a fictional G8 summit in Iceland. Kelly Macdonald is equally smashing as the other half of this awkward, generation-gapped romance (touch of LOST IN TRANSLATION) between two Eleanor Rigby-class lonely people. Without hyperbole, I'll say the first half of the film is sheer perfection: when it leaves behind pure character study to layer in more plot and more politics (however much I'm in agreement), it stumbles a bit (implausibility, sentiment), but my great big love for this film and its characters more than covers such sins.

Nearly a small masterpiece.

Available at Videomatica
IMDb

PS An opening montage of images of the Bill Nighy character instantly establishes both mood and character: a lot of its effectiveness has to do with the song that's playing over top. Turns out its Damien Rice, "Cold Water," from his "O" cd (reprises at the end, as well);

Cold, cold water surrounds me now
And all I've got is your hand
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Or am I lost?

Love one's daughter
Allow me that
And I can't let go of your hand
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Or am I lost?

Cold, cold water surrounds me now

And all I've got is your hand
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Lord, can you hear me now?
Or am I lost?