Shoot the Moon (80%)

There's one thing about marriage that hasn't changed.... The way you hurt when it begins to fall apart.

Of all the Alan Parker films in the Alan Parker canon, Shoot the Moon is the one I have heard least about if anything at all. And that includes the little seen (on these shores at least) film called Bugsy Malone. So when I sat down to watch it I had mixed feelings. On one hand I thought how could it be bad with Albert Finney and Diane Keaton in the leads and Alan Parker directing, while on the other hand why had it disappeared from known memory? Maybe it is a complete and utter failure?

Well I just watched it and all I can say is: what a great movie; what a great character study; what great acting.  Shoot the Moon is about a long married couple who after a few kids and many years together separate. The movie details their feelings for one another, their kids, the kids feelings, and the introduction of new lovers and how it makes old lovers feel.

Parker directs the film with a sure hand. Although much more low key than his previous works he still puts together a riveting and compelling drama that is interlaced with small doses of comedy and a few very tense numbers. Together with his editor and cinematographer they have made a beautifully paced film that is far from boring and compels the audience to stay glued in their seat. The pacing is excellent and while some of the cinematography is rather flat (it is a character study after all) there are some shots that are just stunning, such as the black silhouetted boat lazing on the lake as the sun rises.

The best thing about Shoot the Moon though is the acting. Once again Parker has pulled out excellent performances and proven to be an actors director. Keaton and Finney are excellent and bring raw and real emotion to the screen. A young Peter Weller and Karen Allen make appearances too, and are just as good as the leads. The kids too, are remarkable. It's tough to pull out a great performance from a child but all four children here give uniformly wonderful and give compelling performances.

There are two problems with this film. The first, and uncharacteristically of Parker, is the music. While not bad, it isn't remarkable either. It does the job in carrying the picture but is rather repetitive and rather simple. It almost feels as if one pice of music was written (very quickly) and then repeated throughout the entire picture. It does work for the picture but after Midnight Express and Fame I did expect something more.

The second and biggest problem with the film is the screenplay. Running just over two hours, the film is compelling and well written with sharp dialogue and realistic characters. In fact for the whole of the running time the screenplay is actually rather excellent. So what is the problem then? Well the movie just ends. It is a hard hitting ending and quite unique but the audience and I could of used a bit more. It never really wraps up the story and it's a shame as the story is so propelling.

Drastically different and extremely low key, Parker's fourth film is a forgotten gem that I recommend highly. There are no real effects, no song and dance numbers and no real action to speak of but still the movie is engaging and captivating as any good movie should be and feels way short of its run time. The movie feels very much like Woody Allen's Interiors but interlaced with humor and much quicker paced. This is a quality film that needs to be rediscovered by audiences everywhere. In a word: Riveting!

Film Rating: 80%

Breakdown (How Shoot the Moon scored 80%):

Production Design: 7 out of 10
Cinematography: 9 out of 10
Re-playability: 7 out of 10
Originality: 8 out of 10
Costumes:  8 out of 10
Directing: 9 out of 10
Editing: 8 out of 10
Acting: 9 out of 10
Music: 7 out of 10

Script: 8 out of 10