Michael Caine is one of those actors who can make anything out of nothing. Assuming a filmmaker actually tried to make a film of a man on the toilet for two hours starring Mr. Caine, you can be assured it’d be an enjoyable film. Ask yourself honestly if Goldmember would have been remotely decent without him (and the opening sequence). In fact, he proved every one of my doubts wrong with his portrayal of Alfred in Nolan’s Batman films that now I can’t see anyone else playing Mr. Pennyworth. And as for Clarence in Is Anybody There?, John Crowley couldn’t have picked a better lead.
We expect this from Caine though, and what’s usually unexpected is for the child he’s going one-on-one with to be good. Bill Milner takes up the task willingly and keeps pace with the established actor. The character of Edward could have easily been an ungrateful little brat in the hands of someone else, but Milner brings the kind of curiosity to the role that a child actor seldom can. The relationship that develops between Milner and Caine feels natural and never feels like just two guys together for the sake of being together. I wanted to but never saw Son of Rambow but if Milner is half as good as he is here then I need not worry that Rambow is a solid film. If the kid keeps up his already impressive acting, he’s going to be one to watch.
Is Anybody There?
Ironically, for a film that deals with death, this is a lot cuter than you’d expect. Peter Harness screenplay is all about Edward’s relationship with Clarence and Ed’s obsession with the undead yet it never feels gothic or morbid. It’s probably a good thing considering the film takes place at a retirement home where death is oft to be found. That doesn’t mean everything comes off overly cheesy, either. Crowley handles the serious moments with the proper care, particularly a scene where Clarence and Edward go at each other’s throats. Likely it’s the best scene in the film because all three (Caine, Milner, and Crowley) bring all their energy and execute the scene wonderfully.
The supporting cast does some fine work, but I feel for actors like Rosemary Harris; she feels underused. True they all have time to shine in the beginning but then virtually drop out of the narrative for most of the film. When they’re used, they’re used marvelously but I couldn’t tell the character who berates Christians from the one who gets his finger chopped off. Yes, all of them have quirks but the audience has to see them a couple of times before the names are learned and not just “Finger missing guy”. Perhaps the biggest gripe is that Edward’s mother and father (David Morrissey and Anne-Marie Duff) are underdeveloped. Yes, they have problems and Dad can’t keep it in his pants, but the film never gives us a clear sense of why these two are at each other’s throats. It’s not like this is an insignificant thread that can be easily discarded – the arguing takes up a good portion of the third act – and more background should have been included.
In the end though, this film is about its leads and what matters is that Milner and Caine make a terrific duo. Their characters are expertly developed and Crowley handles their relationship naturally and doesn’t force anything. The only problem is that it feels like it takes a little too long for them to start warming up to each other, but I’ll blame that on the screenplay. True, some things could and should have been handled a bit better than they were but at the end of the day this is a very good film that I fell in love with because of its leads. For all its faults, none hurt the film and it deserves your attention while it’s in theaters.
Rating: 
