Mrs. Lowry and Son

source: Mrs. Lowry and Son

In Adrian Noble's virtual two-hander "Mrs Lowry & Son", the son is the painter L.S. Lowry and this beautifully detailed chamber piece is about his relationship with his cantankerous mother, who not only took no pleasure in her son's work but actively discouraged him. It's an actor's piece and since the actors are Vanessa Redgrave and Timothy Spall it's a magnificent one. There's no great dramas here, just the simple banalities of everyday life, which in the hands of these great artists becomes great art. When finally Lowry rebels, (in his own almost insignificant way), against his mother's brutal put-downs it's like being inside an erupting volcano. It's also very theatrical and the director is indeed better known for his stage work and while it moves very slowly is never boring. This is a glimpse into the 'real' world as opposed to the fantasy world mostly served up in the cinema today. It has its own beauty and is deeply moviing; I think it's a small gem.

What a wonderful representation of Lowry's life with his mother. Timothy Small as Lowry and Vanessa Redgrave as his mother were fantastic. So authentic like the artist. How does anyone survive lack of understanding or interest and so many put downs, art critics telling you you paint like a kid, and someone you love being embarrassed by you and your 'hobby' . And yet he still carries on, not because he thinks he is something special: 'I am just a man, who paints', but almost like he has to. And he stays true to himself.

Made on a limited budget, this slightly stagey account of the years where the celebrated artist tried to make his mark is a real acting masterclass. Spall and Redgrave are superb, with understated performances that perfectly encapsulate the struggling artist who seems on a career to nowhere and his social status obsessed invalid mother who sees herself as middle class but somehow in a working class environment. The plot may be slight and it does have a very theatrical feel to it but the dynamic between the two leads and the feel of mid 1930s lancashire are really strong. Some wonderful interaction between Spall and Redgrave is punctuated with some splendid trick photography as we see scenes of people and places through the artists eyes. It's a not a showy overblown film but an introverted one that shows how poorly the artist was perceived at the time but with a glimmer of hope that better times lay ahead. The scene where time stops and Lowry walks between workers leaving a factory is particularly memorable. The perfect antidote to the smash, bashy, crashy big budget action films of the summer. A wonderful character driven story with two great actors who bring pathos to the story.