In My Father's Den won the International Critics' Award at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2004 for its "emotional maturity, striking performances and visual grace." Not bad at all for a New Zealand film by first time director Brad McGann. Adapted from a novel by Maurice Gee, the film starts off at a languorous pace as it introduces us to Paul (Matthew MacFadyen), a jaded prize-winning photojournalist who returns to his rural, backwater hometown to attend his father's funeral. It was here that he met Celia (Emily Barclay), an enigmatic but melancholic teenager, and Penny (Miranda Otto), his brother's wife, who eerily resembles his deceased mother.
The pacing of the film never accelerates as it takes audiences through a multi-layered story that gets more and more intriguing as the minutes tick by. However, there is such a laborious sluggishness somewhere near the middle that the average movie-goer might just doze off abit if it weren't for the fantastic cinematography. In this aforesaid department, In My Father's Den makes use of the magnificent New Zealand countryside to awe even the most jaded audiences; shots of foggy hillsides, swirling limpid rivers and other vistas of breathtaking beauty are in abundance throughout the film.
However, in the last half-hour or so, the film gains more momentum as the storyline takes on an unexpected twist. While the latter is engaging enough, the film excels instead on the strength of its actors -- MacFadyen, Barclay and Otto (last seen as Eowyn in the LOTR series) may not be bankable marquee names but they deliver such excellent and nuanced performances.
Essentially, In My Father's Den is one part melodrama and one part psychological thriller (albeit moving at the speed of a snail) which digresses from the usual Hollywood formula. Those in dire need of a respite from the loud and commercialized fare that are mostly playing in the cinemas currently should find this to be an interesting and worthwhile watch.
my ratings ---- 3.8/5 stars~!!!
