Scene and heard

This film will be nominated for several Oscars. Of note, of course, Robert Duvall gave the performance of a lifetime and is at least for now, well ahead of the competition for Best Actor. Both Bill Murray and Cissy Spacek will also get nods in their respective Supporting Actor categories. And the film? Well we haven’t seen the usual November and December rush of films which usually make up the bulk of nominations and winners, but this one certainly heads the field right now.

Based on real events, it is the story of a man who is carrying a heavy guilt, incarcerating himself in a house apart from the town for 40 years. The locals see him as a hermit and make up stories about him. And now he is ready to end his self-imposed penitence. He pays for a funeral for himself, to be had while he is still alive. And everyone with a story to tell about him is invited. To tell more here would be doing readers an injustice. This film unfolds so magically, you leave the theatre feeling uplifted. Complete strangers talked to us in the street afterwards, as they knew we had just shared this experience.

I have seen some wonderful films this year, and would recommend Cyrus, The Kids are Alright, The Concert and Kisses, of the films I have seen recently. But this is the first absolute must see film of the year