NOBODY HAS TO KNOW

Belgium/UK, 2021, 99 minutes, Colour.

Michelle Fairley, Bouli Lanners, Andrew Still, Julian Glover, Cal McAninch, Clovis Cornillac, Paul Amed.

Directed by Bouli Lanners,

Here is a film about middle age characters, a film for a middle-aged audience, for an older audience. It is something of a quiet human drama.

And, it has an unusual production background, a coproduction between Belgium and Scotland. The central character, Phil, is Belgian but has left his homeland and migrated to the island of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides. He is employed by a local farmer, hard manual work out in the fields, mending fences, digging trenches. And then he suffers a stroke.

The film was written and directed by its star, the Belgian veteran actor, Bouli Lanners. He has written a sensitive screenplay and portrays Phil as quiet and introverted, running away from his former life, having to deal with the strokes and, particularly, for the most part of the film, amnesia.

The island setting is rather bleak, generally overcast – though some sunshine towards the end of the film. The locations are ordinary homes, the fields, church – the churchgoing scenes are made with the collaboration of the Free Church of Scotland, quite explicit in the sermons about the role of Jesus and his suffering. Interesting to see churchgoing accepted by the community and the community participating, listening attentively to the preacher, vigorously singing the hymns.

When Phil has his stroke (not his first), Millie, daughter of the local landowner, Angus (played by veteran Julian Glover in his mid 80s), offers to look after Phil. He doesn’t remember her from the past. And, she begins to devote herself to him, continuing, she says, her love for him before the stroke.

While this is the emotional centre of this story, the effect on Millie, and the transforming effect on Phil, there are family complications, and is rather disapproving of Phil, but especially Milly’s young nephew, Brian, a decent enough young man, churchgoing like his family, out in the fields with Phil, his biggest tangle being his love for a dog and caring for it while its owners are away, and his becoming too attached to it.

There are many happy moments, many sad moments, especially with Millie having to come to terms with Phil and his recovery of his memory, a beautiful scene when they are at a funeral, as a distance, coming to sit together, Frank talk and declarations.

This is certainly not an adrenaline-pumping drama. Rather, it is something of a quiet slice of life, anchored in the Scottish island atmosphere, relationships, emotional and tangled.

1. A Scottish story with Belgian background? The writer, director, actor, Belgian?
2. The Scottish setting, the islands of Lewis and Harris, bleak, often overcast, the fields and work with fences, digging? The homes? Offices? The church? The beach and cliffs? Atmosphere? The musical score?
3. Phil’s story, enigmatic, his age, work with Brian, dislike by Angus, Millie and her intentions? Belgian background, the later revelation about his brother and his brother’s visit to persuade him to come home, his strokes, hospital? Amnesia? His wanting to stay in Scotland, continuing to work?
4. Millie, age, severe, at home, going to church, at church? Approaching Phil? Telling him that they were in a relationship, his accepting this, the continued attentions, the issue of the couple with the dog and Brian’s devotion to the dog, Phil looking after it, given back to the owners? The time together, talking, on the beach, holding hands, his going into the sea? Her staying with Phil, the night together? Her own work, selling houses? Her family, with her brother, Brian, Angus? Her confiding in Brian and his keeping it a secret?
5. Angus, the patriarch, co-workers, the dour Scotsman? Everybody going to church, the sermons, Paul to the Phillipians, the focus on Jesus, emptying himself, crucifixion and resurrection? The singing of the hymns? Angus in church, the other members of the family?
6. Phil, continuing to work with Brian? Brian’s problems, life with the family?
7. Phil regaining his memory, continuing on, that is of his brother and the discussions?
8. Angus’s friend, dying, the funeral, Phil coming, Millie and her sitting with the friend, her embarrassment? Phil going to talk with her, the issue of her embarrassment and shame, his response to her, the declaration of love, his wanting to stay in Scotland, to stay with her?
9. An atmospheric Scottish story? A different kind of love story? A story for the middle-aged audience?
10. The final song, title, and the themes of the film?