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Rating 4
Written and directed by Hilary Brougher
Starring Tilda Swinton, Amber Tamblyn, Timothy Hutton, Halley Feiffer and Denis O’Hare
Tilda Swinton, who was also executive producer of this extraordinary film, plays Lydie Crane, a forensic psychologist who is brought in by the prosecutor’s office to conduct a series of interviews with Stephanie Daley, a sixteen-year-old girl, played by Amber Tamblyn, who is accused of the murder of her prematurely born child following a pregnancy she claims not to have even been aware of. Lydie Crane is 29 weeks pregnant when the interviews begin, having given birth to a stillborn baby the previous year after 23 weeks of pregnancy. Stephanie Daley gave birth to her baby in a toilet stall after 26 weeks.
The story takes place in a small, picturesque American town, in which the church, local community and high school all instil strong Christian values into Stephanie. She is also the product of parents who no longer seem able to communicate with one another and she bends to the peer-pressure of her best friend Rhana, played by Halley Feiffer - an actress who was previously very impressive in the film ‘The Squid and the Whale’.
As the interviews slowly unfold we learn more about Stephanie and how her journey also informs that of Lydie, who carries unspoken doubts about both her pregnancy and her marriage to Paul (played by the ever-reliable Timothy Hutton).
Hilary Brougher, the writer and director, has done a tremendous job. Her only previous film, a lesbian sci-fi romantic thriller called ‘The Sticky Fingers of Time’, was made seven years previously. Both films brought her excellent reviews - and with ‘Stephanie Daley’ several award nominations at prestigious film festivals.
Tilda Swinton gives a superb performance, which is perhaps not surprising. I cannot bring to mind an acting performance by her I have seen that is not noteworthy. However, the acting honours must go to Amber Tamblyn, if only for one particularly unsettling scene that I found quite harrowing. To say more about it would be to give away too much of the story, but suffice to say it is a scene that leaves a powerful impression.
The film tackles a difficult subject in a quiet, considered and thought-provoking way and I strongly recommend it.
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Directed by Michael W Watkins
Written by David Aaron Cohen, Robert Zappia, Anthony Peckham and Cindy Myers
Starring Timothy Hutton, Kari Matchett, Randy Quaid, Gage Golightly and Hamish Linklater
This is a Canadian mini-series made by David Kirshner Productions (the same production company that made ‘Seed of Chucky’) for the Sci-Fi Channel. It was broadcast in four episodes in June 2004.
It stars Timothy Hutton, living proof that being an Academy Award and Golden Globe winner does not mean you will automatically become a “film star”, Randy Quaid and Kari Matchett. I have just finished watching it for the third time.
Hutton plays a psychics professor who has recently lost his wife. His young daughter is also dealing with this loss, as well as coming to terms with her father’s new companion, played by Kari Matchett. The daughter is played by Gage Golightly, who reminded me of Drew Barrymore, although lacking Barrymore’s screen charisma. Golightly was one of the cast of ‘Heartland’, the recently cancelled TNT show that starred Kari Matchett.
A mysterious attaché case, seemingly from the future, contains a police file about the unsolved murder of Hutton’s character, a murder that takes place five days after the discovery of the case at the graveside of his wife. He now has five days to prevent his murder from happening.
The story has a lot of twists and turns, many of them verging on the utterly implausible, although for some reason it quickly dispenses with any interest in the fact that the case and enclosed documents have clearly been sent back from some point in the far future –- the only thing that gives the story its “sci-fi” tag.
There are many flaws, not least of which are the numerous cheap visual tricks (slow-motion shots, for example), but it starts out well. The first episode is good enough to make it worthwhile watching on. Episodes two and three sustain enough interest to continue. The whole thing only finally collapses in the final episode, which degenerates into a long-winded and not altogether exciting chase, complete with an ending that doesn’t exactly come as a big surprise.
On the plus side, the cast is likeable and it’s fun to watch.
“Timothy Hutton, a personal favourite of mine, is good here, able to portray an intelligent person pushed in an extraordinary situation… 5ive Days to Midnight is a miniseries of above average quality, thanks to its exciting plot, good performances, and dense production design.” Rachel Sexton: MovieFreak.com
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Tilda Swinton, who was also executive producer of this extraordinary film, plays Lydie Crane, a forensic psychologist who is brought in by the prosecutor’s office to conduct a series of interviews with Stephanie Daley, a sixteen-year-old girl, played by Amber Tamblyn, who is accused of the murder of her prematurely born child following a pregnancy she claims not to have even been aware of. Lydie Crane is 29 weeks pregnant when the interviews begin, having given birth to a stillborn baby the previous year after 23 weeks of pregnancy. Stephanie Daley gave birth to her baby in a toilet stall after 26 weeks.
Tilda Swinton gives a superb performance, which is perhaps not surprising. I cannot bring to mind an acting performance by her I have seen that is not noteworthy. However, the acting honours must go to Amber Tamblyn, if only for one particularly unsettling scene that I found quite harrowing. To say more about it would be to give away too much of the story, but suffice to say it is a scene that leaves a powerful impression.
