Marjorie Prime **** (2017, Jon Hamm, Lois Smith, Hannah Gross, Geena Davis, Tim Robbins) – Movie Review

Writer-director Michael Almereyda’s supremely haunting, emotionally potent, and powerfully poignant sci-fi comedy drama supposes we have artificial intelligence some time in the near future, and a service provides holographic re-creations of deceased loved ones.

Lois Smith is lovely as the 86-year-old Marjorie, who has a handsome new companion called Walter (Jon Hamm) who resembles her dead husband and is programmed to feed the story of her life back to her. Hamm is the film’s other hit turn, in a commanding performance, but Geena Davis is also outstanding as Marjorie’s daughter Tess, who hates the hologram of her father.

Almereyda makes no attempt to disguise the fact that his film is based on a stage play by Jordan Harrison. Why should he? He just lets his actors and the dialogue get on with it. When they are this good, that is just perfect. Ms Smith reprises her role as Marjorie, after having appeared in two productions of the play. Maybe that is why she is so special.

Though it ponders the challenging nature of grief and memory, and wants you to think, this sweet film is warm and calming, at peace with itself and the world.

It is very skilfully made, and beautifully shot by Sean Prince, a triumph of filming in just 13 days in October 2015. It was filmed at Amagansett, Long Island, New York.

Hannah Gross plays young Marjorie and Tim Robbins plays Jon.

It was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 23 January 2017 and played at Sundance London on 2 June. It opened on 20 August 2017 in the US and has grossed $180,608 by 2 November. It is painfully hard to get folks into cinemas for serious works.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Movie Review

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