SKELLIG

UK, 2009, 102 minutes, Colour.
Tim Roth, Kelly Macdonald, Bill Milner, John Simm, Skye Bennett, Jermain Allen, Edna Dore.
Directed by Annabel Jankel.

Skellig is based on a popular children’s novel by David Almond.

The film is about a young boy, his parents moving to a new but rather dilapidated home and trying to settle in, the mother being pregnant. The boy feels somewhat alienated from his father, though his father is devoted. When the baby is born, she has a heart defect and has to go back to hospital.

While things are ordinary at home, the rebuilding, at school, sports, friends, the little boy is fascinated by the garden shed at the back of the yard. There he discovers a strange creature, thinking him a homeless man. However, he is a mixture of bird and angel, using the myth of Icarus of flying too near the sun and crashing to earth. While the boy is temperamental towards his parents, he is fascinated by the little girl who looks at him from her crib. He also is friendly with a young boy at school and encounters a young girl who is home-educated and comes from across the fence. However, he gives a lot of attention to the homeless man, feeding him, finding drink for him. He does not tell his parents.

The character of Skellig is fascinating, played by Tim Roth who tends to rather more vigorous and violent styles, but eventually bringing some sympathy to his character.

The girl becomes the best friend of the young boy, causing some difficulties with his best friend at school, who soon discovers what has happened. In the meantime, the boy and the girl try to nourish the angel, improve his conditions, improve his ability to fly. The young boy also gets in mind that he could be able to heal his baby sister.

The film moves into greater fantasy with the boy and the girl raised in the air by Skellig, by his beginning to fly, by his going to the hospital and healing the young baby. The wife thinks that it has been a dream.

The cast is very good, Tim Roth doing such a different role with Skellig. Kelly Macdonald, with her Scots accent, is the mother. John Simm is the father who has to deal with his son and finds a way of getting closer to him while also concerned about his wife and the baby girl. The film focuses very strongly on Bill Milner as the young boy. He made a very strong impact in Son of Rambow and Sex, Drugs & Rock & Roll.

The director, Annabel Jankel, has not directed many films but made DOA in the 1980s and Super Mario Brothers, which received terrible reviews, in the early 1990s.

The film is an interesting variation on the theme of angels, guardians, protectors, healers – a contemporary secular parable with religious dimensions.

1. A film for children, adaptation of the popular novel, the target audiences?

2. A British film, British story, atmosphere, cast?

3. The title, expectations, the mystery of the name Skellig? Skellig as a birdman, as an angel?

4. The family on the move, Michael and his not being cooperative, the choice of his room, lying on his bed, the dilapidated house? His relationship with his mother, love for her, his concern about her pregnancy? The difficult relationship with his father, his father and the commands, wanting him to help his mother, his opting out? His hopes? His father and the driving the cab, his father’s care of his wife, the concern about the pregnancy? Michael’s reactions? The house, the changes, the attempts at communication? Michael and the shed, his mother’s collapse, his finding her, getting her to the hospital on time?

5. Michael at school, his friendship with Leakey? Their discussions, playing, sharing? Coot and her presence, friendship?

6. His room, settling in, the collapse of the roof, his father’s work?

7. The shed, his curiosity, finding Skellig, his initial reaction, coming to care for him, finding the food, the drink? Their discussions, the bond? The secret? His father missing the beer? Mina and her talk, Michael’s initial reaction, the huff? Her return, his talking with her, friendly? Showing her Skellig? His not telling Leakey, not telling his parents?

8. The birth, the tense scenes in the hospital, the heart difficulty? Michael and his visits, the baby looking at him and his response? The parents and their concern? The baby going home, care for the baby, the food? The illness, going back to hospital, the visits, Michael becoming more desperate?

9. Michael and his visits to the hospital, the encounters with Grace, talking, her energy, talking about hope, the gift of the grape each time? Her son, talking about him, his never coming to visit? Michael promising to visit, his arrival, finding that she had died? The nurses clearing her bed, explaining things to Michael? Her name – and Michael giving it to his baby sister?

10. Michael at home, school, his father’s concern? Skellig and his response? Michael and his grief, staying home from school, helping Skellig? Leakey and Coot and their being hurt by him, his disregard? Leakey and the importance of the dives, Michael unable to do them, Leakey and the possibility of a championship, Michael’s promise to be there, his concern about Skellig and the baby, his missing the event? Leakey and Coot and their snooping, finding Skellig?

11. Michael and his father, his father’s drinking, telling him not to drink, the worry, talk, resolving the problem, walking together and talking?

12. Skellig and his being cranky, the Icarus story, the bird and the wings, the angel and the wings? The homeless man and his gruffness? Food, drink, needing to be fed? His claws? The dilapidated wings? His illness, Michael getting him the aspirin? The gradual change, with Mina? The repairing of the wings, his bath, being spruced up? Levitating with the children? his becoming decisive? The hesitations about the baby, going to the hospital? The mother and her thinking she was dreaming about the healing? Flying away?

13. Michael, at school, the encouraging teacher, his story about Skellig?

14. The happy ending, the possibilities of angels? Hope? The uplift for the family? Family love, friendship?