84 Charing Cross Road

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B

84 Charing Cross Road is unlike any movie that I've ever watched, it's a collage of stories about characters who liase with one another through mail. While the experience of watching it was plasantly unique, it is quite obvious why it might just be the only oe of its kind. Although crafted with love, a movie where characters interact at such a superficial level can hardly be described as affecting.

Helene Hanff (Anne Bancroft, unlike Mrs Robinson) is a middle-aged single woman in New York who spends her days writing and reading English literature. She sees an ad on the newspaper of a shop in London, at 84 Charing Cross Road, that sells cheap and rare books. Elated, she writes immediately to the shop that is ran by Frank Doel (Anthony Hopkins), a middle aged British who shares similar passion for books. Soon, Helene and Frank, a married man, liase back and forth, sending cash in return for the books as well as sharing glimpses of their personal lives in each and every letter. Soon, Helene becomes a member of the bookshop in spirit. In the course of the next 2 decades she gets to know the staff working there via letters, written each time with personal anecdotes and passionate voices.

I would say that the best parts of the Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan vehicle You've Got Mail was when the two were still comically and anonimously emailing each other. Imagine they doing it throughout the film - with the audience having a slim hope that somehow these two souls, so meant to be they are, would meet - and you have 84 Charing Cross Road. That being said, it becomes more of a show of good story-telling rather than telling a good story.

While Bancroft and Hopkins are both magnificent as Helene and Frank, two people who are obviously attracted to each other because of their perceived similarities, but restricted by their conscience, rules and timidity. It is amazing that there is chemistry between the leads, and we do keep rooting for them to get together. This is probably because we are also, to an extent, attracted to the two leads. The screenplay is exemplary in creating characters and character interactions through long monologues (since the long letters are read one at a time). With each letter written, we do see a little bit more about each character, and it never got boring. Director David Jones presents a case of effective filmmaking, never forgetting that this is a movie and not a series of audio-tapes.

Despite such accolades, which I can only describe in awe, 84 Charing Cross Road cannot leave an impact. It cannot because it is impossible for such a movie to leave any pressing effect whatsoever. People are changed by what others do, it's basically about people telling stories about their lives - all separate lives. As such, 84 Charing Cross Road is probably the best movie that it can be,and we should just enjoy it for this.
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