Product: Nora [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 5.0
Beautifully done
As I watched Nora, a lot of things went through my head. The stellar performance given by Susan Lynch, the quiet power of Ewan McGregor, the strength of the script, as well as the maturity this movie as a whole showed. I noticed that there was virtually no lead-in to the relationship between Nora and James Joyce, a total of 3 minutes to introduce Nora, and perhaps 20 seconds to introduce Mr. Joyce. At first, I was slightly put off at this, feeling as though I had been cheated out of a good, 15 minutes...but as the story progressed, I realized that a longer introduction would have been meaningless, and in the end, a waste of the moviegoers time. The great thing about this movie, is that it is about the relationship between James and Nora, not about their families, not about their jobs, not about their children (although all of these things play an important role within their lives, therefore impact how they act towards one another), but solely about *them*.Ewan McGregor is shocking in his portrayl, not only because of his stunning work as a whole, but his honesty in the role. He appears to be baring his soul in this movie, while still keeping a subtle demeanor. Susan Lynch was equally wonderful, but in a totally different way. Her performance was quick and full of life, as opposed to McGregor's dead-but-powerful approach. It was almost as though the role was a shell around the actress, and she became a totally new person, wholly leaving her personal self behind, forgetting any method of acting she may have had, any sense of mechanical acting in her is gone, and she allowed herself to just be this character.A lovely portrayl of one of the most passionate and stormy literary relationships in history, I highly recommend it.