BORN ROMANTIC
UK, 2001, 100 minutes, Colour
Craig Ferguson, Olivia Williams, Jane Horrocks, David Morrissey, Jimi Mistry, Catherine Mc Cormack,Paddy Considine, Kenneth Cranham, Adrian Lester, Ian Hart,
Directed by David Kane
Born Romantic was written and directed by David Kane, British director of This Year's Love. It is a kind of La Ronde, a London circle of people who encounter each other, sometimes deliberately, sometimes by chance with their lives flowing into each other's. The central character is a taxi driver, played by Adrian Lister (Primary Colours, Love's Labours Lost, Maybe Baby).
British character actors perform the central roles including Craig Ferguson (I'll Be There, Saving Grace, Drew Carey Show) who is teamed with Olivia Williams (The Sixth Sense, The Postman, To Kill a King). David Morrissey is teamed with Jane Horrocks. Jimmy Mistri (The Guru, East is East) is teamed with Catherine Mc Cormack (Brave Heart, Spy Game, The Honest Courtesan). There are two taxi drivers who sit in the headquarters and talk entertainingly about life and sexuality, Ian Hart and John Thomson.
The central location for the action is a Salsa dance club where the characters gravitate. While the characters are sketched, they come across quite vividly, their problems, their loneliness, their need for affection. There are a number of British films at the beginning of the 21st century with these themes, including Bedrooms and Hallways and This Year's Love.
1. An entertaining intercutting of stories about Londoners?
2. The title, its reference to each of the central characters, the fact of their relationships, their hopes?
3. The London settings, the nights, days, the streets, the homes, the cemetery? The interior of the cab? The Salsa Dancing Club?
4. The range of the music, the songs, the Salsa and the rhythms?
5. The structure of the film: introduction to characters, their colliding, relationships, break-ups, the coincidences, plans? The focus on the taxi driver as the hub of the wheel, La Ronde of these characters?
6. The taxi driver, his presence throughout the film, the story of his wife, visiting the grave, Jocelyn and her putting flowers on the grave? His capacity to listen? His strong words to Eleanor? Listening to Fergus, Mo, Frank? The two cab drivers talking at the diner? The end, the challenge to change, his going to the Salsa room and inviting someone to dance? His farewell to his wife?
7. Fergus, coming to London, naïve, in the taxi, the story of his being jilted, the search, going to the British Museum and the Elgin Marbles, in the taxi so often, at the Salsa centre? Meeting Mo, the clash, the eventual reconciliation? Mo, dancing, her being hurt, having left home years before, the many sexual partners, her anger with Fergus? Their getting together, the talk, his impotence, change? Possibilities?
8. Frank and his money, his girlfriend in the car and her mobile phone, his throwing it out? Going to the Salsa centre, attracted to Eleanor, his advances, her rejection? At home, the clashes with his ex-wife and her living in part of the house? The clashes with Eleanor? Eleanor and her loneliness, her anger at the taxi driver, his severe words to her? Her going to the house, meeting Frank's ex-wife? Back at the Salsa centre, the possibilities?
9. Jocelyn, awkward manner, neck-brace, glasses? At the cemetery and her work? Dancing? Meeting the Indian and his returning the purse? The visit to his home, meeting his father? Dancing? The irony of the chloroform and her being robbed at the bank outlet? Her anger? Finding his father, bringing him home? Starting again? The Indian and his partner, their robbery method, the police, the partner running off, seeing Jocelyn? The dad, his age, loss of memory, wandering?
10. The two taxi drivers continually talking, discussing sex, relationships? Their each sparking off the other - strengths, weaknesses, fears and inhibitions?
11. The range of characters, the homely touch, the glamorous touch, loneliness, relationships, sexuality, love - and the meaning of life and relationships?
