114. Allelujah; movie review

 

ALLELUJAH

Cert 12A

99 mins

BBFC advice: Contains infrequent strong language, moderate threat, sex references, discrimination

"Well, that wasn't what I was expecting!"

My mum's verdict on Richard Eyre's Allelujah was met with firm agreement from my dad, Mrs W. and me.

The trailer had led us to be believe the adaptation of Alan Bennett's play would be a rib-tickling comedy.

But while there were two or three chuckles, it certainly isn't a laugh-fest. Instead, it is a rather strange slice of overdone promotion for the National Health Service.

Bally Gill plays the empathetic lead - a doctor who feels a great love for the elderly for whom he cares at a closure-threatened Yorkshire hospital.

But even the writing around his character is odd. For example, why does he have to have a thick Indian accent when Gill himself doesn't (we watched the film in his home city - Coventry) and neither do most medics of Asian descent.

And why does he call himself Doctor Valentine? Haven't we long passed the point that those with non-English names feel the need to anglicise themselves?

I digress.

The backdrop to the Allelujah is a campaign to save The Beth, a 100-year+ community hospital which specialises in treatment for the elderly.

Its stalwart is Sister Gilpin (Jennifer Saunders) who is about to be recognised for her decades of service in a civic service.

David Bradley plays one of the patients - a curmudgeonly ex-miner whose son (Russell Tovey) is ironically leading the project for the hospital's closure.

Meanwhile, Judi Dench, Derek Jacobi and Julia McKenzie are among those playing patients who bring humour and pathos.

The cast is so good I thought Allelujah would be a perfect outing for my octogenarian parents.

Sadly, not - incontinence, senility, community singing and, ultimately, death, gave them a horrific foresight of what is in store for them, according to my dad.

Meanwhile, stars such as Dame Judi have mere cameos.

Indeed, their contributions are a slight distraction from the heavy political points made about the NHS which are crashed home with a mallet during an epilogue.

Overall, this is a film which lacks flow, yes, certainly not what we expected.

Reasons to watch: Its cast

Reasons to avoid: It has a very confused message

Laughs: Three

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 4/10

Did you know?  Marjory Warren (1897–1960) is considered to be the pioneer of geriatric medicine. In 1935, she was given the responsibility of caring for 714 chronically ill patients at the West Middlesex Hospital, many of them elderly.

The final word. Richard Eyre: "My mother was very ill for many years. She had Alzheimer’s and she was brilliantly looked after in an NHS geriatric ward quite similar to that in the film. The nursing staff actually turned up at her funeral, which was incredibly moving." Independent

Share this post