A simple movie with an extraordinary strength. It is a tiny film, unexcessively made, but at its core, it has the unwavering potential to strike the most substantial citadel of humanity - the heart. The Girl In The Cafe is a beautiful film, and the simplicity to its tale brings an unlikely heartache for the need to love and be loved, one of the sole reasons why we are existing today. Richard Curtis (writer of Love Actually, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill) gives us a very well written script, which was a bit unusual from his former romantic comedy toil, and David Yates (the recent helmer of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix film) picks the solid script and transformed it into a magnificent journey to the heart of lonely souls and to the face of the troubled world. The Girl In The Cafe is a must-watch film for all people who knew about poverty, about crisis, terrorism, famine, AIDS, death toll, instable economies, war - which all brings down to one definite cause, which is the fight for humanity. Lawrence Montague (played superbly by Bill Nighy) is probably the loneliest 57-year old person on Earth. He's got wealth, has a superb job in the world of politics, works for the Chancellor of Exchequer in United Kingdom. And yet, his soul is lost. His social life is nonexistent. But everything is going to change when he enters into a cafe and met a mysterious, considerably younger girl named Gina (in which Kelly McDonald brilliantly portrayed). It's a bit far-fetched but they started going out together, due to some fact that they had been sitting directly across each other in the cafe table. He was a shy, nervous and incredulously reluctant civil worker while she was a plain woman who's got nothing in life to lose, who's got no adventures to go through. As the G8 Conference will be held in Iceland, specifically Reykjavik, he invites her to go with him to accompany him in the said worldwide meeting. There, the real trouble went in. She became a threat to Lawrence. She's a woman with strong opinions, who has something to say, and even in front of the Committee heads, she couldn't hold her tongue and utter what she believed that was important to be said. Lawrence felt his career was compromised, and he wanted to let go of Gina. But will he ever let go of her when his heart was already rooted in her own existence? It's a story made out of simplicity but the message it brings is breathtaking. Richard Curtis's contribution to Make Poverty A History makes this movie a worth watch. The characters he made were all sentimentally real and even though how hard you try to think that it's a bit ridiculous for such kind of relationship to exist, well, it does exist. It gives us all a lesson to be true to one's own self. Gina's speech during the dinner was a very intelligent insight to what was happening on our world today and why people are too cowardly to act on making such changes. In our conflicted world filled with poverty, AIDS, famine, war - change must not be inflicted right away. It's not just possible. It must start with our own selves and therefore making it less impossible. How amazing for the creators to blend love story and politics in one film that could directly touch human hearts. And Gina's confession about why she was held in prison - actually made me move back a bit and hold a tear that was falling.
The cast was nothing short of amazing. Bill Nighy, completely polar from his role in Underworld and Love Actually, could prove that superb is an understatement in his case. I believe he is one of the best British actors working today, and that he just grabs all the limelight in this movie. Kelly McDonald as Gina was heartachingly true as though she was really the character she portrayed. No wonder she bagged the Emmy Award for Best Supportin Actress for this one. And The Girl in the Cafe also grabbed the Emmy for Best Movie Made for Television and Best Writing for a Movie Made for Television.
Before, I was a bit too harsh on Warner Brother's decision to have picked David Yates as the director for the 5th Harry Potter film. But now, having seen this film, made me want to go up there and support David Yates for all his worth. I can see now why they've chosen Yates as the helmer because he's a terrific director, and he brings a powerful emotional core to this film, which is also very crucial to the very emotional 5th Potter book. He is indeed a director with great things to look forward to.
It took a lot of bravery for a character like Gina to speak in front of the Prime Minister and asked him if what he was saying were all true. She asked: "How many people will have to die out of poverty when we are all here dining in luxury and wealth? How many children will have to suffer while I take and eat all sides of my plate?"
Watch the film. Believe in every aspect of it. Although love couldn't change what's wrong in the world, but it's a start.
Rating: A
