Longford

A quick recommendation for an HBO film that some may have already seen: the titular character (played by the amazing Jim Broadbent) is a somewhat fuddled real-life Lord who took up lost causes, and gets involved with the case for forgiveness and perhaps parole for the female half of a notorious child-murdering duo. Myra Hindley (the equally amazing Samantha Morton) may be truly seeking redemption, may be manipulating the old man — and the film grabs us with that tension. But what resonates even more extensively is the grip of the moral question behind the ‘truth’ of her redemption: does everyone deserve redemption, regardless of their motives?

The film was written by Peter Morgan, building up quite a resume for tough little historical pics (with The Queen and the current hit play “Frost/Nixon”) and very well-directed by Tom Hooper–unlike some of HBO’s films, this doesn’t play like it’s good for you, with lots of safe two-shots and an “important” message. Instead, its narrative structure seems deceptively chronological but really creates a profound mystery about forgiveness. Longford is, without a doubt, the very cartoon of landed liberal gentry, and hard to take seriously; our opinion of Hindley seems to change from scene to scene, but her former boyfriend/accomplice (played with nasty verve by Andy Serkis) keeps stacking the deck against her.

And while I dug this issue, the acting is what riveted me. Broadbent puts on a scare wig and beaky plastic nose, and he’s like Lord Bozo, but damn if every close-up doesn’t open up tremendous complexities in Longford’s eyes, and his physical carriage bows over the course of the film, burdened by events and age. At first I thought the role a bit fussy, but Broadbent’s mannered set-up becomes more natural, more charismatic as the film proceeds. He’s amazing, and he’s why I’d take pains to seek this one out.