Shadows on the Wall | The Great Lillian Hall

The Great Lillian Hall

dir Michael Cristofer
scr Elisabeth Seldes Annacone
prd Bruce Cohen, Steven Rogers, Scott Thigpen, Marie Halliday
with Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Pierce Brosnan, Lily Rabe, Jesse Williams, Michael Rose, Cindy Hogan, Keith Arthur Bolden, Jonathan Horne, Clayton Landey, Allison Mackie, Bryan McClure
release US 31.May.24
24/US 1h50

TORONTO FILM FEST

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A diva in mental decline offers a particularly meaty role for Jessica Lange to dive into with her usual delicate intensity. It's also an original take on the issue of dementia and its effects, cleverly using the surreal atmosphere of a theatre stage. While there are massively emotive scenes along the way, the film is grounded in its artistic setting, offering realistic observations while allowing Lange to shine.

Broadway legend Lillian (Lange) is the kind of star they don't make anymore. She's so confident in her skills that she can't admit that she's struggling to keep up in a new production of The Cherry Orchard. Her long-time assistant Edith (Bates) makes sure she gets everywhere on time, but it's frustrating her that Lillian is forgetful and wobbly on her feet. Director David (Williams) and producer Jane (Hogan) insist that she sees a doctor (Bolden), who diagnoses a form of dementia. But Lillian carries on, and as opening night approaches, everyone is worried.

After a life centred around her talent, it's understandable that Lillian is unable to face the truth. With her daughter Margaret (Rabe) and family, she retreats into silence. Speaking to her neighbour Ty (Brosnan) across their balconies offers her a rare chance to flirt like the old days. And when Edith discovers her condition, she struggles to stick around, but she promised Lillian's late husband (Rose in flickering memories) she would always stick around. Meanwhile, a video crew is filming all of this as they document the production.

Lange is riveting as a woman who knows she's a great actor but was never a good wife or mother. For her, it has always been all about the play, and now she's having problems with that. But she insists she's "still more me than not", and that she can go on with the show. Which of course puts everyone around her on edge, and each of the supporting actors is excellent at conveying a specific response to Lillian's impending illness.

"You disappeared a long time ago," Margaret says pointedly on discovering her mother's diagnosis. This allows the film to say intriguing things about the nature of a performer, most notably the mixture of defiance, resilience and delusion that are required to play a big role. Watching Lillian set her mind to achieving this one final play is fascinating, not because it seems clear that she won't be able to do it, as everyone around her believes, but because we suspect that maybe she will.

themes, language 23.May.24

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