Is Anybody There?

Following Intermission and Boy A, director John Crowley shows his diversity with his latest venture, Is Anybody There? Dark humour permeates this tale of Edward (Bill Milner), a young boy living in an old people’s home, obsessed with death and the afterlife, and his unlikely friendship with Clarence (Michael Caine), former magician turned grumpy old man. Peter Harness’s semi-biographical script has plenty of memorable moments, from Dad’s cringe-worthy attempts at flirting with a young nurse to a magic trick that goes horribly, excruciatingly wrong. Clarence is a character with real depth, and after some mediocre supporting roles, Michael Caine’s performance is one of his best in recent years, while Milner continues to show promise after Son of Rambow. The elderly supporting cast also deserve a mention, portraying various degrees of dottiness in poignant scenes tinged with an accepting sense of inevitability, but Crowley succeeds in creating a film that celebrates life in the face of morbidity.