MRS LOWRY AND SON

UK, 2019, 91 minutes, Colour.
Vanessa Redgrave, Timothy Spall, Stephen Lord, Wendy Morgan, Rose Noble.
Directed by Adrian Noble.

A very formal title but Mrs Lowry would have it that way. She is in charge. Her son, unmarried, middle-aged, who lives with her, is definitely the subordinate.

As we are introduced to the characters, we are drawn in and, by the end of the film, despite Mrs Lowry and her harshness, we have witnessed one of the enjoyments of the year.

Here is an opportunity to see Vanessa Redgrave at her best (well, for 50 years, she has frequently been at her best). And, here is Timothy Spall at his best (frequently at his best in Mike Leigh films like Secrets and Lies and his portrait of the artist, Mr Turner). In fact, with the camera on them so intensely, and their responding with such skill, they offer what could be considered master classes in performance.

The film is based on a play by Martyn Hesford. He has adapted for the screen, the camera does go outside the house quite a number of times, and there are some scenes of the surrounding countryside and glimpses of the Lancashire Mills, 1934. But, most of the action, the interaction, takes place within the house, some glimpses of downstairs, the son retiring evenings to the attic, but most of the action is in Mrs Lowry’s room.

The screenplay and the play have been very well written, often elegantly written, written with a love of English language, articulate, intelligent, highlighting variety of vocabulary and expression.

And, in case you don’t know who Mrs Lowry and son are, it is best to introduce him first. He is L..S. Lowry, one of England’s most distinguished painters of the early half of the 20th century. He has a particularly distinctive style, sketch and composition, use of colour, all modestly done, especially painted up in his attic. It can be pointed out that a local critic condemns his significant painting of workers leaving the mills as juvenile. His mother agrees. She is embarrassed. She forbids him to enter competitions.

As might be gathered, she is a femme formidable. She is bedridden, living upstairs, dependent on her son who cooks, cares, eats his meals with her, conversing with her, always addressing her as Mother. It is hard to decide whether she is frail strong or strongly frail. And she is not short of a word. And, so frequently, her words are harsh, put-downs, condemnations of her son and his lack of achievement (which was the same with his father from whom she expected so much and who failed her).

She sees herself as a lady (all something of a suburban Margaret Thatcher of the 1930s), disdaining the working class, snobbish, expecting lesser people to pull themselves up to success by their bootstraps and condemning them when they don’t. And, that includes her son. She dislikes his embarrassing painting except for one which a neighbour admires and, therefore, she likes. She likes paintings that are nice, picturesque, nothing ugly.

As noted, Vanessa Redgrave, without raising her voice too often, enters into the character of Mrs Lowry. But, we have to have sympathy with her son. In a way he is a simple soul, just painting what he sees and feels, called to be a painter, relaxing with his painting, simple games with children who follow him up the street, collecting rent from the poor, yet friendly.

He does get a letter from an entrepreneur in London, an exhibition being possible – his mother more than pooh-poohs the idea and tears up the letter. She becomes so humiliating the aggressive that he is prepared to smash his paintings and burn them as junk. We do believe indeed that Timothy Spall is L.S.Lowry.

Possibly many within the UK, certainly many outside the UK, may not have heard of the artist – but there is a fine tribute the end and a display of his paintings. He tells us that he painted them all for his mother.

British cinema at its best – and quiet, deep, thoughtful.

1. The title? Lowry as an artist, as a man, his relationship with his mother, her domination?

2. The Lancashire settings, 1934, the home, the interiors and his mother’s room, the streets, collecting the rent, the meals, the countryside and landscapes? The musical score?

3. The origins of the film as a play, a two hander? The strength of the language and vocabulary?

4. Audience knowledge of Lowry, introduction to his painting, the mills and his characters, the stylised painting, his painting, ‘what I see, what I feel’? Particular colour, design? The negative reaction by the critic? His mother’s dislike of his paintings? The sailing, her having memories of the past, the neighbour liking the painting, her personal affirmation, his hanging it on her wall? Seeing him sketch, seeing him paint?

5. Timothy Spall’s presence and performance as Lowry, age, his appearance, in the street, the games with the kids, dropping the money? Collecting the rent and his sympathy for the poor? His walk, his manner?

6. Mrs Lowry, Vanessa Redgrave’s performance, age, in bed, confined and isolated, visits from the doctor, her son’s care for her, cooking the meals, her eating them with energy and comment? His conversation with her and eating with her?

7. The co-dependence, her domination, hard, seeing him as a vexation, cruel words? The focus on herself, her own interests and concerns? Criticising her son, the critic’s condemnation of his painting and her embracing this, hurting her son? But praising his meals and his punctuality?

8. Lowry, his daily routines, timetable, excuses for being late, preparing the meals, talking with his mother, her questions, the newspapers? His being alone, listening to the radio and laughing, going to the attic and his paintings?

9. His mother, the flashbacks, her elegant life, expectations, pianist, the birth of her son, not wanting a child? But playing with him, on the beach, sailing? The disappointments
in her life? Expectations of her husband, his debt collecting, his own debts, failure, being confined to the modest house?

10. Her snobbery, class distinctions, her condescending attitudes, dislike of workers? Her continued comments?

11. Doreen, the neighbour, the glimpses of Doreen’s own life and clashes with her husband, the visit to Mrs Lowry, class, liking the painting? Her return, the vanilla slices, not eating them, his mother upset, the check from Mr Lowry, wanting to buy the painting? Lowry disturbed, pleased, listening to his mother, depositing the check back in the letterbox?

12. The painting of the sailing, her liking it, the reasons, on the wall, the issue of the competition, his putting into entries, her scolding him?

13. The letter from London, her being impressed by London, the offer, affirmation of him, his mother’s arguments, tearing it up? Is Piecing it together? The condemnation, his being upset, going to the attic, savaging the paintings, collecting them in the yard to burn?

14. His being harassed, humiliated, yet the filial son? Yet his talent?

15. His mother’s death in 1939? His continuing to paint, his reputation?

16. The addition of the exhibitions, 21st-century galleries, his achievement – and the device of having Lowry sitting there amongst the people and looking at the paintings all done for his mother.