Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Shadows in the Sun (2009)
Director: David Rocksavage
Movie review
From Time Out London
The various crises of a well-heeled, boho Norfolk family in the late 1960s are oh-so gently explored in this largely lifeless, if nicely shot, pastoral which is chiefly interesting for featuring Jean Simmons in her first film role for years. The star of ‘Spartacus’ (see review right) plays Hannah, a widow living alone in a fine country house who finds solace in poetry and the company of a young, bearded fellow called Joe with whom she shares the odd joint.Arriving for the summer with his two children is her troubled son Robert (James Wilby), whose uptight nature stems from the gathering perfect storm of an ageing mother, an absent wife from whom he’s divorcing and two kids who find better companionship in the mysterious Joe than in him. Issues abound, but Rocksavage is too polite to explore any of them more than superficially and he prefers to turn his camera on bucolic images when the going gets tough. A serene amble through an inoffensive landscape.
Author: Dave Calhoun
Time Out London Issue 2024, June 3 - 10, 2009
Cast & crew
Director: David Rocksavage
Cast: James Wilby, Jean Simmons, Tom Reed
Genre(s): Drama
Rated: 12A
Duration: 81 mins
UK Release: Jun 5 2009
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Time Out's 101 Films of the Decade
Ten years, thousands of movies and millions of dollars in international box office, and it all boils down to this
Martin Provost discusses 'Séraphine'
Trevor Johnston talks to the director of 'Séraphine' about bringing a little known French painter back to life
Our verdict on Peter Jackson's The Lovely Bones
Peter Jackson ends a triumphant decade with a sentimental misfire with this lush Alice Sebold adaptation
On the set of Ken Loach's 'Route Irish'
Dave Calhoun meets Ken Loach on the set of his forthcoming Iraq war movie
Stephen Poliakoff discusses 'Glorious 39'
Stephen Poliakoff’s ‘Glorious 39’ is his first film for cinema since ‘Food of Love’ in 1997. Dave Calhoun met him
Is 'Paranormal Activity' the new 'Blair Witch'?
How does a film go from DIY experiment to box-office smash? 'Paranormal Activity' director Oren Peli explains
Steven Soderbergh on 'The Informant!' and 'The Girlfriend Experience'
We talk to Steven Soderbergh about his two forthcoming films: one featuring a porn star, the other a chubby Matt Damon
A gateway to all things 'New Moon'
In anticipation of 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon', Time Out is offering the chance to pick up a limited edition pack with three exclusive magazines and a free poster.
The films that deserve a TV spin-off
With Roland Emmerich suggesting he'd like to make a '2012' TV spin-off, we propose some more movie-to-TV serialisations
Time Out's 50 greatest animated films with commentary by Terry Gilliam
In celebration of the release of Pixar's 'Up' and Wes Anderson's 'Fantastic Mr Fox', read our rundown of fifty classic feature length animations












What do you think?
Post your review now