Is Anybody There?

Is Anybody There? is a bittersweet film about the friendship between an elderly magician named Clarence (Michael Caine) and a young boy named Edward (Bill Millner). And because John Crowley is such a good director (he directed Intermission and Boy-A) this film works. It could have been a sappy mess but it turned out very well.

Edward is obsessed with death and what happens after people die. And it is not surprising because his parents (David Morrissey and Anne-Marie Duff) run an home for elderly folks. It is the last stop for them before they pass on. Clarence is sent to live there by the government but he is not happy about it. He and Edward get off on the wrong foot but they eventually become good friends.

This may be a hard film for some to watch but it is really worth it if you are up to it. Besides the good directing there is some very fine acting. Young Millner is very good as are Morrissey and Duff. There are a number of veteran actors playing the residents of the home. Some of them are Rosemary Harris, Sylvia Syms and Peter Vaughan. They all shine in their small roles. But the film belongs to Caine. It is not easy to play a man who knows he is getting closer to the end of his life. But Caine is more than up to the challenge. He just seems to get better with age.

I can relate to some of the themes of the film. I have often questioned what happens when we die. There are no definite answers but I know what I would want.

In any case, it you like quirky British films that have humor but also covers a serious topic then I recommend that you see Is Anybody There? And, yes, you will find out why that is the title of the film.