Song for Marion
Set in London, this geriatric comedy drama stars Terence Stamp as a shy, grumpy pensioner who is reluctantly inspired by his beloved wife (Vanessa Redgrave) to join a highly unconventional local choir led by Gemma Arterton.
At odds with his son James (Christopher Eccleston), it is up to Elizabeth (Arterton) to try and persuade Arthur (Stamp) that he can learn to embrace life, using music as a way to battle his grumbling persona.
- Director:
- Paul Andrew Williams ('The Cottage', 'London to Brighton')
- Writer:
- Paul Andrew Williams
- Cast:
- Gemma ArtertonChristopher EcclestonVanessa RedgraveTerence StampAnne Reid
Reviews & comments
Flicks, Rebecca Barry Hill
flicksRetire to another cinema if you don’t fancy giving your tear ducts a work-out. That’s what Terence Stamp’s curmudgeonly Arthur would do in Song For Marion, a film striving to match the success of Quartet, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and, by virtue of its esteemed older cast, The King’s Speech. Even those who find the story’s central choir, the OAPz, (Old-Age Pensioners) cloying will find it hard not to suppress the waterworks. This is one film that’s equal parts moving and grating.
Song for Marion
I don't know which was made first and which countries got them first, but if you've seen one 'Quartet', you've seen them all, right? 'Song for Marion' follows Arthur (Terence Stamp), a miserable old lump who is the husband to Marion (Redgrave), a terminally ill old lady who still likes to participate in her local senior's choir. We all know that Marion's...
over formatted and contrived ... yet they'll love it
Writer/director Paul Andrew Williams did his market study very well. Obviously aiming to cash up on the grey dollars, it is a safe, flat ... dare I say it, boring film, but the audience it is aimed at loves it. Most want safe, easy watching fluff ... and that's what they're getting here. I want cinematic experience ... in my opinion this should have gone...
Variety
pressA sentimental tearjerker targeted at the over-50s who made "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" a box office hit.
Total Film
pressThere may be the odd bum note but Williams' film is largely on song and full of genuine, heartfelt emotion. Stamp's masterclass in melancholy is something to behold.
Time Out
pressEven though we know where the film's going, it still manages to give the tear-ducts a workout.
The Guardian
pressGrit-meister Paul Andrew Williams switches to the key of C major for a commercial crowdpleaser about a seniors' choir.
Little White Lies
pressToo emotionally manipulative, but not without its moments of real tenderness and warmth.
Hollywood Reporter
pressRedgrave and Stamp have a touching, mismatched chemistry, and in their hands the marriage described in Williams's script feels lived-in and real.
Empire Magazine
pressWith Redgrave on top form and the story's moving take on devotion in the face of death, your tear ducts will be powerless to resist.
Flicks, Rebecca Barry Hill
flicksRetire to another cinema if you don’t fancy giving your tear ducts a work-out. That’s what Terence Stamp’s curmudgeonly Arthur would do in Song For Marion, a film striving to match the success of Quartet, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and, by virtue of its esteemed older cast, The King’s Speech. Even those who find the story’s central choir, the OAPz, (Old-Age Pensioners) cloying will find it hard not to suppress the waterworks. This is one film that’s equal parts moving and grating.
Variety
pressA sentimental tearjerker targeted at the over-50s who made "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" a box office hit.
Total Film
pressThere may be the odd bum note but Williams' film is largely on song and full of genuine, heartfelt emotion. Stamp's masterclass in melancholy is something to behold.
Time Out
pressEven though we know where the film's going, it still manages to give the tear-ducts a workout.
The Guardian
pressGrit-meister Paul Andrew Williams switches to the key of C major for a commercial crowdpleaser about a seniors' choir.
Little White Lies
pressToo emotionally manipulative, but not without its moments of real tenderness and warmth.
Hollywood Reporter
pressRedgrave and Stamp have a touching, mismatched chemistry, and in their hands the marriage described in Williams's script feels lived-in and real.
Empire Magazine
pressWith Redgrave on top form and the story's moving take on devotion in the face of death, your tear ducts will be powerless to resist.
Song for Marion
I don't know which was made first and which countries got them first, but if you've seen one 'Quartet', you've seen them all, right? 'Song for Marion' follows Arthur (Terence Stamp), a miserable old lump who is the husband to Marion (Redgrave), a terminally ill old lady who still likes to participate in her local senior's choir. We all know that...
over formatted and contrived ... yet they'll love it
Writer/director Paul Andrew Williams did his market study very well. Obviously aiming to cash up on the grey dollars, it is a safe, flat ... dare I say it, boring film, but the audience it is aimed at loves it. Most want safe, easy watching fluff ... and that's what they're getting here. I want cinematic experience ... in my opinion this should have gone...
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