Amazon.com

The damage caused by long-kept secrets lies at the heart of The Lost Language of Cranes. Rose (Eileen Atkins) believes that "keeping certain secrets secret is essential to the general balance of life," but her son Philip (Angus Macfayden) disagrees. He decides to tell his parents that he is gay, and his honesty precipitates a crisis that threatens to tear the family apart.

Philip's father Owen (Brian Cox) leads a secret life, hiding his own homosexuality from Rose while spending his Sundays in porn cinemas. Owen has been crippled emotionally by years of deceit, and he is incapable of having an honest relationship with his wife, his son, or any of the men whom he meets. When he learns that Philip is gay an emotional dam breaks, years of self-loathing pour out, and he decides to tell the truth.

This powerful drama does a wonderful job of portraying a family undergoing catastrophic change. Philip and Owen find a kind of freedom when they unburden themselves, but in many ways Rose's dilemma is the key to this film. Philip's revelation helps her to understand that on some level she has known about her husband's homosexuality all along, and that keeping secrets is far more damaging than revealing them. Yet she is left feeling "like the punch line of some terrible joke" even as her husband and son are set free. The Lost Language of Cranes is a compelling examination of the consequences of honesty, both good and bad. --Simon Leake ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Hypnotizing family drama
I was alternately surprised, impressed, and repelled by this film. This is not actually a gay love story, but the story of a family, and how they deal with (and not deal with) the truth. Both the father and the son are gay, and the mother, Rose (Eileen Atkins), lives in denial for years, until her son, Philip (Angus Macfadyen), bravely tears the walls down.

Rose is sharp as a tack, but so tightly controlled, she doesn't allow the truth to sink in. Not much goes over her head, but when the information doesn't fit into her plans, she simply ignores it. When she finally faces the reality of her marriage, it falls apart.

Owen (Brian Cox) is the father-- his whole life, he has lived a lie. His character is weak and not very bright, but he means well. He does his duty in caring for his family, and it's clear he genuinely loves them. Unfortunately, he's the most childlike in the family--he reacts, rather than initiates, and he remains childlike till the end.

Philip is the catalyst in the family--he brings the secrets out in the open. His character shows a lot of wisdom and initiative, both in his family and love relationships. This was Angus Macfadyen's first major film, although it was originally a BBC production. He is young, lean and amazingly sensitive in his performance. He is so good in this role, I was convinced he is gay.

The writers of the film (David Leavitt, Sean Mathias) suggest that homosexuality is the result of both environment and genetics. Elliot, Philip's lover, is the adopted son of two gay men. Philip is the biological son of a man who is gay. Elliot's housemate, a social worker, reveals that a child's life is shaped by his environment after he is neglected and left alone--he begins to imitate a crane, the only stimulation he has. Another case is revealed, of two twins who have their own secret language. It's a fascinating subject to speculate on if you like to figure out what makes people tick (I do).

The acting all around is phenomenal. The director too (Nigel Finch), did a wonderful job. So much is said with looks and gestures, volumes are communicated with eyes alone. Nothing was glossed over in this film--each character has his/her own strengths and weakness, both gay and straight. How refreshing, especially in a film about intimacy.

The music is also good. The whole atmosphere is one of loneliness and desperation, and it's fascinating to watch, from an American perspective, because we just don't make movies like that. Our films are usually much more glamorized or dramatized, so this film was especially magnetic to me.

Well-acted tale of a family eroding from long-kept secrets
This film is based on David Leavitt's book of the same name, which takes place entirely in New York City. When the film version was made, with Leavitt's blessing, the scene is switched entirely to London. However, the core lesson of the film, about deep-seeded family secrets and how they erode the facade of a middle class family, stays in tact.

Brian Cox and Eileen Atkins, two of Britain's best character actors, are incredibly good as the parents, Owen and Rose Benjamin. Owen is an Academic, and Rose is a Book Editor. The irony of Rose being in a profession where she needs an eye for detail is not lost as it contrasts to her own life. She has somehow managed to overlook that her husband is a closeted homosexual. In their generation, if a man felt or knew he was gay, he married, procreated, and carried on with life in most cases. The Benjamin's marriage could be like most long-term marriages without passion. Rose has had her affairs, mainly for the physical love she is missing from her husband. Owen wants desperately to explore the side of his life he has been repressing, but, so far, spends a good amount of his free time roaming gay cinemas.

Adding to all of this is that their son, Phillip, a handsome book editor, very well-played by Angus MacFayden, is also gay. He is out to his friends, but not to his parents. He is madly in love with an American graphic artist, Elliott, played by Corey Parker. Phillip's belief that he has found the love of his life leads him to finally come out to his parents. But, he has no idea of the can of worms he has opened in the life and marriage of his parents. Rose would have been content to keep secrets indefinitely. However, Owen's son's admission opens the floodgates and propels Owen toward his new life.

The film is still fairly faithful to the book, which I also recommend very highly. The acting is top-notch, as often seems the case in British-made films. The story is engrossing in its brevity, and strong in its lessons of honesty, betrayal, and the ultimate destruction of long-held secrets.

Painfully Bitter
With a sharp story, tremendous irony, brilliantly low key performances, and elegant direction and cinematography, THE LOST LANGUAGE OF CRANES received tremendous acclaim when it debuted in 1992; a decade later it has lost but little of its original punch.

Based on the notable novel by David Leavitt, CRANES offers the story of Philip (Angus Macfayden), an attractive young Englishman who has fallen in love with the wealthy and manipulative American Elliot (Corey Parker)--and on the basis of that love decides to inform his parents that he is gay. But Philip's announce precipitates a crisis that he cannot imagine: his own father Owen (Brian Cox) is homosexual, a secret he has concealed from wife Rose (Eileen Atkins) since their marriage. At the same time, Philip discovers the foundation of his love with Philip is considerably less stable than he thought, and suddenly all concerned in the story find their lives built on shifting sand.

The performances are what make the film work, and while Mcfayden and Cox have the showier roles (and are excellent in them), it is really actress Eileen Atkins who emerges as the powerhouse performer in the complex role of a woman who has deliberately lived in denial--and who must now respond to a double-whammy that undercuts the very foundation of her existence. Carefully controlled, Atkins delivers a flawless performance with incredible weight and realism.

The flaw in the film is the script, which tends toward a certain clinical, slightly artificial awkwardness from time to time, and although the film offers many interesting visual metaphors, it ties them so loosely to the overall story that it is often difficult to know to what these metaphors refer. Even so, THE LOST LANGUAGE OF CRANES offers a powerhouse punch in its message of the need for honesty lest one be trapped into a way of living that slowly and but inextricably destroys the opportunities of youth--and leaves one with the bitter realization that the effort of keeping the lie alive has left one with little more than the lie itself. Powerful stuff; recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

A bit dark but good
A whole lifetime comes crashing down when the son in this story reveals he is gay. This prompts the father, living a lie for as long as he can remember to reveal his own homosexuality to his family. The wife, although made to look a bit badly in the film was the most sypathetic character to me in the movie. She feels like her entire life was a lie her husband made up to hide. A strong sub-plot with the son dating a bit of a player who just wants to drift off gives the movie a sense of unease. I definetly recomend this and then after you might want to watch "Broken Hearts Club" to cheer yourself up.

Distracted Spine
I think that honesy is the most important attribute a film like this can possess. I am glad to say that I believe "Cranes" is very honest. However, there are other things that distract from what is important here: the telling of the story. The idea behind the cranes analogy is too contrived and not very well explained. Furthermore, it is very unneccessay. It seems as if the director/screenwriter did not have enough belief that the story could stand on it's own, which is a shame. This is a film that should be seen; had the director been able to prioritize and illiminate the need for intellectual filler it would be one to own as well. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Thanks to the Stonewall Girls
As a student of gay and lesbian history I approached this movie with a cautious mind. My caution was soon overcome by the fabulous characters, plot and honest (but fictitious) depiction of what it was like to be shunned by society. The Stonewall riots were fought by people who were marginalised in many ways-dykes, latinos, transvestites, drag queens and African-Americans fought the original gay battles that were soon taken over by a white middle class. That is why the movie spoke to me. It showed that the human rights battle is not a white middle class only issue but is an issue no matter who you are.

Aside from the history lesson, Stonewall combines a great story, great songs, great characters, embellishes them all with some self-depreciating drag queen wit and punches home a fab movie that leaves you feeling how far we've come and how far we've still got to go. A great human rights story told with love and humour. Buy it.

What can I say but "We are the Stonewall girls, we wear our hair in curls la la la la....."

Good story, history for those who don't remember
Enjoyed this movie. The (i believe) fictional characters provide an entertaining story and backdrop to the real Stonewall event.

We tend to forget how gays & lesbians were treated as real criminals as little as 30 years ago - when police raided gay bars just to beat up the patrons, and get their names published in the daily paper, assuring you that you would lose your job and be outted in a very public way. I was cringing in my seat at some of the stuff we had to deal with back then - considering how open we are today. Really makes you think.

Nice film with a cute story against the historical backdrop.

Great version of the Stonewall story
All accurate? Perhaps not, but a well told story. The actors do a great job in their roles and any liberties taken with history are either reverential or entertaining. The drag queen version of a greek chorus is too cool.

This movie sucked!
There really isn't much more to say, but I'm sure I can find something... Let's see, the acting was next to terrible, the plot lacked anything dynamic, and for the most part it was just boring. It did have it's good points though (the most important one being that it eventually ended). There were some nice butt shots, unfortunately they weren't of very nice butts. There were some ok drag numbers. The only decent part of this movie was the riot scene, and that doesn't happen untill the end (hope I'm not giving away the ending!)

Anyway, I would not reccomend this movie to anyone!

Stonewall six stars!!!
I thought I should own and watch this movie, since it was on the birth of equal rights for Gays (being the good little queer I am). It was so funny, and educational. I can not believe I had not heard of it until I browsed the Gay/Lesbian section of Amazon. The acting is great, and the period clothing is dead on. Don't rent it, you'll just want to go buy it afterwards, so put your rental $$ towards to purchase. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Hypnotizing family drama
I was alternately surprised, impressed, and repelled by this film. This is not actually a gay love story, but the story of a family, and how they deal with (and not deal with) the truth. Both the father and the son are gay, and the mother, Rose (Eileen Atkins), lives in denial for years, until her son, Philip (Angus Macfadyen), bravely tears the walls down.

Rose is sharp as a tack, but so tightly controlled, she doesn't allow the truth to sink in. Not much goes over her head, but when the information doesn't fit into her plans, she simply ignores it. When she finally faces the reality of her marriage, it falls apart.

Owen (Brian Cox) is the father-- his whole life, he has lived a lie. His character is weak and not very bright, but he means well. He does his duty in caring for his family, and it's clear he genuinely loves them. Unfortunately, he's the most childlike in the family--he reacts, rather than initiates, and he remains childlike till the end.

Philip is the catalyst in the family--he brings the secrets out in the open. His character shows a lot of wisdom and initiative, both in his family and love relationships. This was Angus Macfadyen's first major film, although it was originally a BBC production. He is young, lean and amazingly sensitive in his performance. He is so good in this role, I was convinced he is gay.

The writers of the film (David Leavitt, Sean Mathias) suggest that homosexuality is the result of both environment and genetics. Elliot, Philip's lover, is the adopted son of two gay men. Philip is the biological son of a man who is gay. Elliot's housemate, a social worker, reveals that a child's life is shaped by his environment after he is neglected and left alone--he begins to imitate a crane, the only stimulation he has. Another case is revealed, of two twins who have their own secret language. It's a fascinating subject to speculate on if you like to figure out what makes people tick (I do).

The acting all around is phenomenal. The director too (Nigel Finch), did a wonderful job. So much is said with looks and gestures, volumes are communicated with eyes alone. Nothing was glossed over in this film--each character has his/her own strengths and weakness, both gay and straight. How refreshing, especially in a film about intimacy.

The music is also good. The whole atmosphere is one of loneliness and desperation, and it's fascinating to watch, from an American perspective, because we just don't make movies like that. Our films are usually much more glamorized or dramatized, so this film was especially magnetic to me.

Well-acted tale of a family eroding from long-kept secrets
This film is based on David Leavitt's book of the same name, which takes place entirely in New York City. When the film version was made, with Leavitt's blessing, the scene is switched entirely to London. However, the core lesson of the film, about deep-seeded family secrets and how they erode the facade of a middle class family, stays in tact.

Brian Cox and Eileen Atkins, two of Britain's best character actors, are incredibly good as the parents, Owen and Rose Benjamin. Owen is an Academic, and Rose is a Book Editor. The irony of Rose being in a profession where she needs an eye for detail is not lost as it contrasts to her own life. She has somehow managed to overlook that her husband is a closeted homosexual. In their generation, if a man felt or knew he was gay, he married, procreated, and carried on with life in most cases. The Benjamin's marriage could be like most long-term marriages without passion. Rose has had her affairs, mainly for the physical love she is missing from her husband. Owen wants desperately to explore the side of his life he has been repressing, but, so far, spends a good amount of his free time roaming gay cinemas.

Adding to all of this is that their son, Phillip, a handsome book editor, very well-played by Angus MacFayden, is also gay. He is out to his friends, but not to his parents. He is madly in love with an American graphic artist, Elliott, played by Corey Parker. Phillip's belief that he has found the love of his life leads him to finally come out to his parents. But, he has no idea of the can of worms he has opened in the life and marriage of his parents. Rose would have been content to keep secrets indefinitely. However, Owen's son's admission opens the floodgates and propels Owen toward his new life.

The film is still fairly faithful to the book, which I also recommend very highly. The acting is top-notch, as often seems the case in British-made films. The story is engrossing in its brevity, and strong in its lessons of honesty, betrayal, and the ultimate destruction of long-held secrets.

Painfully Bitter
With a sharp story, tremendous irony, brilliantly low key performances, and elegant direction and cinematography, THE LOST LANGUAGE OF CRANES received tremendous acclaim when it debuted in 1992; a decade later it has lost but little of its original punch.

Based on the notable novel by David Leavitt, CRANES offers the story of Philip (Angus Macfayden), an attractive young Englishman who has fallen in love with the wealthy and manipulative American Elliot (Corey Parker)--and on the basis of that love decides to inform his parents that he is gay. But Philip's announce precipitates a crisis that he cannot imagine: his own father Owen (Brian Cox) is homosexual, a secret he has concealed from wife Rose (Eileen Atkins) since their marriage. At the same time, Philip discovers the foundation of his love with Philip is considerably less stable than he thought, and suddenly all concerned in the story find their lives built on shifting sand.

The performances are what make the film work, and while Mcfayden and Cox have the showier roles (and are excellent in them), it is really actress Eileen Atkins who emerges as the powerhouse performer in the complex role of a woman who has deliberately lived in denial--and who must now respond to a double-whammy that undercuts the very foundation of her existence. Carefully controlled, Atkins delivers a flawless performance with incredible weight and realism.

The flaw in the film is the script, which tends toward a certain clinical, slightly artificial awkwardness from time to time, and although the film offers many interesting visual metaphors, it ties them so loosely to the overall story that it is often difficult to know to what these metaphors refer. Even so, THE LOST LANGUAGE OF CRANES offers a powerhouse punch in its message of the need for honesty lest one be trapped into a way of living that slowly and but inextricably destroys the opportunities of youth--and leaves one with the bitter realization that the effort of keeping the lie alive has left one with little more than the lie itself. Powerful stuff; recommended.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

A bit dark but good
A whole lifetime comes crashing down when the son in this story reveals he is gay. This prompts the father, living a lie for as long as he can remember to reveal his own homosexuality to his family. The wife, although made to look a bit badly in the film was the most sypathetic character to me in the movie. She feels like her entire life was a lie her husband made up to hide. A strong sub-plot with the son dating a bit of a player who just wants to drift off gives the movie a sense of unease. I definetly recomend this and then after you might want to watch "Broken Hearts Club" to cheer yourself up.

Distracted Spine
I think that honesy is the most important attribute a film like this can possess. I am glad to say that I believe "Cranes" is very honest. However, there are other things that distract from what is important here: the telling of the story. The idea behind the cranes analogy is too contrived and not very well explained. Furthermore, it is very unneccessay. It seems as if the director/screenwriter did not have enough belief that the story could stand on it's own, which is a shame. This is a film that should be seen; had the director been able to prioritize and illiminate the need for intellectual filler it would be one to own as well. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The fictional story line of Stonewall is framed by a piece of re-created gay history that has been chronicled before, primarily in suchdocumentaries as Before Stonewall and After Stonewall. But heredirector Nigel Finch constructs a multilayered entertainment set in and aroundthe Stonewall riots of June 1969 (in New York) that marked the start of gayrights and activism. Stonewall is engaging and sympathetic to the plightof gays everywhere, who survived a world where homosexuality was a fate worsethan death (and often resulted in it). This is amovie about survival, oppression, and the self-loathing that is inflicted by a world that refuses to understand anything different from mainstream morality. Within that dynamic is a familiar subplot about a young rube, Matty(Fred Weller), who comes from the Midwest to the big city in order to findhimself and falls for a drag queen named La Miranda (Guillermo Díaz) inthe process. Finch, who died prior to the film's completion (it was finished byproducer Christine Vachon), uncovers something joyous in the angst of hischaracters and in the factual context of material that might have seemedoverworked in less committed hands. --Paula Nechak ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Thanks to the Stonewall Girls
As a student of gay and lesbian history I approached this movie with a cautious mind. My caution was soon overcome by the fabulous characters, plot and honest (but fictitious) depiction of what it was like to be shunned by society. The Stonewall riots were fought by people who were marginalised in many ways-dykes, latinos, transvestites, drag queens and African-Americans fought the original gay battles that were soon taken over by a white middle class. That is why the movie spoke to me. It showed that the human rights battle is not a white middle class only issue but is an issue no matter who you are.

Aside from the history lesson, Stonewall combines a great story, great songs, great characters, embellishes them all with some self-depreciating drag queen wit and punches home a fab movie that leaves you feeling how far we've come and how far we've still got to go. A great human rights story told with love and humour. Buy it.

What can I say but "We are the Stonewall girls, we wear our hair in curls la la la la....."

Good story, history for those who don't remember
Enjoyed this movie. The (i believe) fictional characters provide an entertaining story and backdrop to the real Stonewall event.

We tend to forget how gays & lesbians were treated as real criminals as little as 30 years ago - when police raided gay bars just to beat up the patrons, and get their names published in the daily paper, assuring you that you would lose your job and be outted in a very public way. I was cringing in my seat at some of the stuff we had to deal with back then - considering how open we are today. Really makes you think.

Nice film with a cute story against the historical backdrop.

Great version of the Stonewall story
All accurate? Perhaps not, but a well told story. The actors do a great job in their roles and any liberties taken with history are either reverential or entertaining. The drag queen version of a greek chorus is too cool.

This movie sucked!
There really isn't much more to say, but I'm sure I can find something... Let's see, the acting was next to terrible, the plot lacked anything dynamic, and for the most part it was just boring. It did have it's good points though (the most important one being that it eventually ended). There were some nice butt shots, unfortunately they weren't of very nice butts. There were some ok drag numbers. The only decent part of this movie was the riot scene, and that doesn't happen untill the end (hope I'm not giving away the ending!)

Anyway, I would not reccomend this movie to anyone!

Stonewall six stars!!!
I thought I should own and watch this movie, since it was on the birth of equal rights for Gays (being the good little queer I am). It was so funny, and educational. I can not believe I had not heard of it until I browsed the Gay/Lesbian section of Amazon. The acting is great, and the period clothing is dead on. Don't rent it, you'll just want to go buy it afterwards, so put your rental $$ towards to purchase. ... Read more

Description

This true story combines a real-life detective story with an inside look at the world of art.For nearly three years, journalist Peter Watson lived a double life, disguised as a wealthy art dealer.With the help of Sotheby's, Christie's, and Scotland Yard, he hoped to recover some of the world's stolen masterpieces.His extraordinary adventure uncovers the secrets of the art dealing scene.Viewers see how a work is checked for authenticity, how auction prices are artificially bid up, and how a stolen piece resurfaces into public life under a different guise. ... Read more