LADYGREY

South Africa/ Belgium, 2015, 109 minutes, Colour.
Peter Sarsgaard, Jeremie Renier, Emily Mortimer, Claude Rich, Liam Cunningham, Jude Foley, Sibo Miambo.
Directed by Alain Choquat.

Ladygrey is a collaboration between Belgium and South Africa.

Ladygrey, one word, is the title of the film but it is seen in notices in the town with the two words Lady Grey. It is based on several novels, with many different strands at the interconnecting them.

The setting is the early 21st century, a post-apartheid South Africa, yet still retaining aspects of apartheid, and some tensions in relationships between blacks and whites, especially the Africkaaners and visitors from Europe with the locals.

The photography is very attractive, the town, the countryside, mountains, fine weather, snow, the fields and the crops and the river.

The cast reflects the internationality of the film with Claude Rich and Jeremie Renier coming from France and Belgium, Emily Mortimer and Jude Foley from England, Liam Cunningham frim Ireland, Peter Sarsgaard from the United States. Many locals in supporting roles.

The situation in the town is that there has been a massacre, eleven locals and two overseas nurses including the wife of Peter Sarsgaard, the bodies not having been recovered. There is an atmosphere grief, especially for Sarsgaard and his son, Jude Foley. Liam Cunningham plays landowner Angus, married to Emily Mortimer but having an affair with a local woman. There is Claude Rich, an elderly man dying, with his mentally-impaired son, Jeremy Renier – the film devoting a great deal of attention to him and his love for a symbolic eagle.

The film is a mixture, fine to look at but challenging in bringing all the strands together.

1. An African- European collaboration? Based on several novels, with different strands, combined?

2. The title, the South African town, the town itself, shops, homes, the countryside, the mountains, the snow, the river, the flocks? The crop by the river? The musical score?

3. 21st century post-apartheid? The European presence, Afrikaaners, the British? The story of the massacre?

4. The focus on Angus and his strand of the plot? Owner, the shepherd boy and communication, the sheep and the deaths, the predators? His relationship with his wife? The affair with Estelle? The men, at work, the pay? The touch of the sinister? The men and their discovery of the bones? Olive, her relationship with Angus, strained? Her medical background, her care for Henri, the discussions with Estelle? The attraction to Samuel?

5. Samuel, his story, his marriage, the death of his wife, her nursing and helping, his son, communicating with him, the different languages? The house, surviving, the need for money, his being available for labour, his jobs, going to the store, developing the roses – and seen as weeds? Getting the money, taking his son to dinner, getting drunk, the boy having to eat two deserts? His grief, and the prayers at night with his son?

6. Mattis and his story, Henri and his being aged, sick, his wife, taking the mistress? His love for his son? Claiming Estelle as his daughter? Estelle and her relationship with Angus? Her care for Henri? Tension with Olive? Mattis, simple, the tours for the elderly, the sunglasses, the fake money, looking at the eagle, wanting to buy it, at the store, the discussions with the trainer? Telling the stories to his father?

7. The town and the people, the old lady, their stories, drinking, the bar, the workers, the finding of the bones, the massacre and the attackers, those buried in the river, the funeral celebration, the atmosphere of the church, prayer?

8. Sam’s son and his tunnel through the crops to the river, the dog, showing it to Mattis?

9. The symbolism of the eagle? Prey, soaring, Mattis and his love of the eagle?

10. The glimpse of these people, their futures?