Camilla (1994 film)
Camilla is a 1994 film directed by Deepa Mehta. It was Jessica Tandy's penultimate film appearance and is dedicated to her memory. Tandy plays the title character, Camilla Cara, a former concert violinist. It is a road movie with Bridget Fonda playing the opposite, younger female role of Freda Lopez, herself a musician/composer, albeit unfulfilled. The two leave their male companions, Camilla's son Harold (Maury Chaykin), a B-movie producer and Vincent (Elias Koteas), Freda's husband and artist behind in Savannah, Georgia to return to Toronto to attend a concert of Brahms' Violin Concerto at the Winter Garden Theatre. This performance is a mirror of a performance of Camilla's given at the same venue many years earlier.
| Camilla | |
|---|---|
 They went looking for adventure... and found themselves. | |
| Directed by | Deepa Mehta |
| Produced by | Jonathan Barker |
| Written by | Ali Jennings Paul Quarrington |
| Starring | Jessica Tandy Bridget Fonda |
| Music by | John Altman Daniel Lanois |
| Cinematography | Guy Dufaux |
| Edited by | Barry Farrell |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Miramax Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | Canada United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $8,500,000 |
The film is not only an adventure-filled journey, but also a reconciling of the two women's pasts and futures. Camilla and Freda bond over Camilla's unconditional support that she extends for Freda's music which Freda's husband will or can not give. This bond forms despite the obviously exaggerated stories Camilla tells of her own life.
The men, after having left the women to work on a joint project, return to Savannah to find the ladies have vanished. As Vincent and Harold embark on a search for Freda and Camilla, they, too, come to realize that they must reconcile their broken relationships with the women in their lives.
Cast
- Jessica Tandy as Camilla Cara, mother
- Bridget Fonda as Freda Lopez, wife
- Elias Koteas as Vincent Lopez, husband
- Maury Chaykin as Harold Cara, son
- Graham Greene as Hunt Weller
- Hume Cronyn as Ewald
Critical reception
Camilla received a mixed response from critics. The film holds a 40% positive "Rotten" rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.[1] Several reviewers wrote that Tandy's performance was the best aspect of the film. Janet Maslin of The New York Times described Tandy was a "graceful presence" in the film, and said that "She moves enchantingly through an otherwise treacly film that wouldn't work without her."[2] Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that Tandy's final film roles "show an elderly woman of great dignity and strength, stubbornness and eventual warmth" and concluded that "What Camilla adds to the palate is humor and some naughtiness".[3] In a review in the San Francisco Chronicle, Peter Stack wrote that Tandy was a "bright, vital presence" in the film and said that "Tandy's eyes are so full of light and impish good humor, it's no wonder she almost sweeps away Fonda", concluding that "Tandy's performance is so enchanting, you forgive a lot".[4]
References
- "Camilla". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved April 16, 2016.
- Maslin, Janet (December 16, 1994). "FILM REVIEW; Tandy Toward the Finish, With a Flourish". The New York Times. New York City. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- Ebert, Roger (March 24, 1995). "CAMILLA (PG-13)". Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago. Retrieved October 28, 2011., but concluded that "it is not, unfortunately, a very good film."
- Stack, Peter (June 23, 2011). "Tandy Outshines Story in Her Swan Song, `Camilla'". San Francisco Chronicle. San Francisco. Retrieved October 28, 2011.