DAPHNE
UK, 2017, 84 minutes, Colour.
Emily Beacham, Geraldine James, Tom Vaughan- Lawlor, Nathanial Martello- White.
Acted by Peter Mackie Burns.
Daphne is a slice of life. The focus is on a young woman, in her 20s, quite self-absorbed, knowing that there is more in life, but stuck in her routines, her indulgences, clashes of personality.
She is played by Emily Beacham. Geraldine James has something of a cameo as her mother, alienation between mother and daughter, the mother dying of cancer, Daphne finally moved to go to observe the session of her mother experiencing some Buddhist prayer and healing.
While she works in a diner where the manager is in love with her, she also encounters a sympathetic bouncer at a nightclub who has refused her entry but who comes around to see and talk with her.
Audiences may lack sympathy with Daphne in the early part of the film, given her self-centredness. She actually does ask somebody whether she is selfish. But, by chance, she is involved in a store robbery, observing a thief stabbing the proprietor,/helpless momentarily but then calling the ambulance. She is entitled to counselling because of the situation but she mocks the counsellor, eventually returning to him and, the breakthrough, going to visit the proprietor who had survived and sharing with his family.
All is not lost.
1. A London slice of life? Focusing on Daphne, a twentysomething, life, values, aimlessness?
2. The London settings, the city, streets and traffic, homes, clubs, shops…? The musical score?
3. The portrait of Daphne? Her background? The scenes with her mother, the visits, antagonism, her mother having cancer? Her job, in the restaurant, the relationship with Joe, time often talking with him, his background, his declaration of love for her? The other workers, friendships, clashes? Her friends, drinking, drug taking? Trying to get into the club? Ousted by David? His following her? Not pressurising her – a different possibility for a relationship? Her values, her education, quoting Freud and authors? Her idea of freedom, and being herself – but pervasive pessimism?
4. Daphne’s mother, the visits, stances, trying to communicate? Her having cancer? Her treatment, the Buddhist practice, Daphne actually going to observe and be present for her mother? The effect?
5. Joe, the ordinariness of the restaurant, the details of life and work? Conversations, time for smoking? His infatuation with Daphne? Her response?
6. The club, David, meeting her again, friendliness, the conversations, a different perspective on relationships?
7. The event in the shop, the thief, the demands, the stabbing of the owner, Daphne’s reaction, hesitant, helping the victim, calling the ambulance? The continued effect after the accident?
8. The recommendation of the psychologist, her visit, not interested, rude to him? His patients? Her return, his questions, her questioning herself?
9. Talking the issue over with friends, her puzzle about her reactions, non-reactions?
10. Enquiring whether the victim had survived, going to meet him, meeting his family, their appreciation, the discussions and the effect on her?
11. Daphne and selfishness, self-centred, not caring, the challenge of the accident, her mother’s illness, Joe and David, the possibility for opening up to some meaning in life?
