If you are older than 20 and maybe even if you are not, you probably have an appreciation for Sir Anthony Hopkins, who I believe to be one of the greatest screen actors of all time and certainly of this generation.
I somehow managed to not see this 1993 film, probably because I was a teenager and was more focused on things like parties and girls than I was ever going to be on a period piece that is actually quite slow-paced but also rooted in very important moments in history, as well as a cleverly disguised and tragic story of unfulfilled potential love.
One thing that is particularly impressive about this entire undertaking isn't just the stunning portrayal that Hopkins has as a head butler for a very wealthy estate and its lord, but the fact that this wonderfully beautiful film was made with a paltry budget of a mere $15 million. Wow, how times have changed because it probably cost more than that just to get Hopkins on the cast by the year 2000.
Hopkins plays the role of Mr. Stevens, who is a "manservant" with incredible dedication to his work. He is consumed by it and rarely allows his true colors or feelings to ever become part of his life. This is exemplified in his unwavering support for the lord of the house, even when the lord of the house does things or orders things that he is extremely opposed to. A woman named Ms. Kenton comes and joins the staff one day and the two of them butt heads regularly because she is more prone to allowing her emotions to show whereas Stevens is a dutiful professional at all times, even at the expense of his own dignity in front of the very powerful men that come to visit the manor.
He is regarded as the leader of the entire staff at the manor and kind of rules with an iron fist going so far as to insist that the staff never refer to other members of the staff by their first names, as violation that he castigates Ms. Kenton for much to her chagrin.
Throughout the film, it becomes evident that there is romantic interest between the two of them, but Mr. Stevens (who insists me must be called as such and never "James") is the unwavering professional that doesn't allow how he feels to ever be exposed.
we see rare moments where the icy exterior of Mr. Stevens is nearly broken by Ms. Kenton and these moments are what earns Hopkins his status as one of the greats. I can't imagine any other actor being capable of being able to reveal so much about what is going on inside his head without saying a single word.
Rather than overshadow all the other members of the cast, Hopkins raises them up to his level, which I think is a sign of a truly amazing actor. Christopher Reeve is in this film and while we all have fond memories of his portrayal of Superman I don't think that anyone would really accuse the film-legend of being a fantastic actor. He is, just like everyone else in the cast however, elevated by the immensely talented Sir Anthony Hopkins.
This movie pushes back and forth in time without telling you that it is happening so you do really need to pay attention with this one. Because I normally will watch movies in bed before going to sleep I was careful to switch it off as soon as my mind was trending towards sleep-ville. It is a "slow-burn" for sure and for modern audiences that require constant excitement this might not be something they would enjoy. In a way, this is a work of art that I am sometimes in the mood for but if you allow yourself the time to watch this over 2-hour film, you will be left with a wonderful feeling as though you were told so much more of the story than they actually tell on screen. We are left with a feeling of "what if" about so many things that happen in the story, particularly when Mr. Stevens meets up with a woman who is now Mrs. Benn. I'll leave that part of the story alone because you need to see it with your own eyes to fully appreciate the majesty of emotion that is portrayed in that 4 minutes or so.
Should I watch it?
If you require explosions and constant action in your films to be entertained then absolutely not. I have certain moods that I go through where I have no tolerance for something as slow-moving as this film and I think that most other people are the same. You need to give yourself time to fully take this masterpiece in and I strongly encourage that you do precisely that. This film showcases Hopkins' absolutely outstanding acting capabilities that few men have had in the history of all moving pictures and to take all that in, you need to leave your phone in the other room and be prepared to focus.
This is a film that will have you talking about it long after you have seen it and even though it didn't win any major awards it was nominated for almost everything. It was a tough year to be nominated for anything because Schindler's List, The Piano, and Philadelphia all came out that year as well. Had it been nominated in basically any other year, I'm quite certain it would have won some or perhaps most of the awards it was nominated for.
Strangely, this film is particularly difficult to find on streaming services and is even regionally blocked, perhaps due to some of the sensitive political topics discussed inside it. It is available for rent or purchase on nearly all streaming services provided they are not regionally locked.