Shadows on the Wall | Everybody Digs Bill Evans

Everybody Digs Bill Evans

dir Grant Gee
scr Mark O'Halloran, Grant Gee
prd Alan Maher, Janine Marmot
with Anders Danielsen Lie, Laurie Metcalf, Bill Pullman, Barry Ward, Katie McGrath, Valene Kane, Juliette Crosbie, James Killeen, Isabelle Harriet, Will Sach, Pamela Uba, Diarmuid de Faoite
release UK 11.Sep.26
26/Ireland 1h42

BERLIN FILM FEST

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Shot in Ireland, this biopic about the legendary American jazz musician Bill Evans has a slinky black-and-white visual sheen and hushed rhythmic pace that hold the attention. Sometimes, the whispery, mumbled dialog gets lost in the mix, but a solid cast brings out the earthy edges of these intriguing, engaging people, while director-cowriter Grant Gee offers a lovely exploration of an artist grappling with serious personal issues.

In 1961 New York City, pianist Bill (Danielsen Lie) is shattered when his friend and bassist Scott (Sach) dies in a car accident. Because he is unable to properly function, Bill's brother Harry (Ward) and sister-in-law Pat (McGrath) take him in. And then he travels to Florida to stay with his parents (Metcalf and Pullman). After detoxing from heroin addiction, Bill hangs out with his dad on the golf course and at a local bar. He's also visited by his ex Ellaine (Kane). And he slowly begins to realise that he needs to play again.

Occasionally, the film flickers ahead to luridly colour-saturated scenes in 1973 and 1979, touching on significant tragedies in Bill's life, as people close to him commit suicide. And then in 1980 he is travelling with his new girlfriend Penny (Crosbie) and colleague Chris (Killeen) when he is taken ill and dies at age 51, due to his generally poor health after years of abuse and neglect. The film continues from here in flashback, offering another lovely musical sequence. But this only reminds us that there should have been more.

Danielsen Lie has a superbly relaxed physicality in the role, as a man drifting through his own story while a storm rages inside him. Because the narrative is structured around a series of painful losses, the emotions on display are resolutely downbeat. And his addiction issues with Ellaine add to the film's somewhat bleak tone. But there are bright sparks in the performances by Ward, Kane, Pullman and the always remarkable Metcalf.

This is an artfully assembled film, so it looks and feels achingly beautiful, even with its pitch-black themes. But because it is so mannered, and so finely focussed around the impact of grim events, it's not the kind of movie that pulls us in. Instead, we watch it with interest, fascinated that this troubled man made such gorgeously emotive music.

themes, language, drugs 26.Aug.26

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