Samantha Morton's subtly penetrating expressions of residual grief as the title character anchor this subdued film about a young Scottish woman in deep shock over her boyfriend's suicide. Initially, the story doesn't move outside Morvern's sparse, low-rent flat, as the trauma-detached Morton (Minority Report, Sweet and Lowdown) runs her hands over her lover's cold body, opens her Christmas presents, and discovers a novel the boyfriend finished writing just before slashing his wrists. This manuscript becomes the catalyst for her precarious emergence from an emotional abyss when she replaces his name on the cover page with her own and sends it out to publishers. But whenever Morvern Callar steps outside these core elements--the girl's fractured psychological state, the attention to the body (which she leaves on the floor), and the novel she's claiming as her own--the film loses focus, taking on a scattershot quality that mirrors Morvern's bewildered attempts at spiritual reparation. Director Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher) has a muted storytelling style that requires the viewer to actively engage the film on the somewhat subjective level of character--but it's a sometimes laborious process that isn't always worth the work. Optional. [Note: DVD extras include interviews with costars Samantha Morton and Kathleen McDermott (2 min. each), a brief interview with director Lynne Ramsay, trailers, and weblinks. Bottom line: a small set of extras for a so-so indie film.] (R. Blackwelder)
Morvern Callar
Lions Gate, 97 min., R, VHS: $44.99, DVD: $24.99, Dec. 16 Volume 19, Issue 1
Morvern Callar
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