"TO WALK INVISIBLE" (2016) Review

 

"TO WALK INVISIBLE" (2016) Review

Years ago, I had viewed a 1946 movie called "DEVOTION". It was a fictionalized movie about the lives of the Brontë sisters. Needless to say, I had finished the movie feeling less than impressed. I also recently viewed the 1973 BBC miniseries, "THE BRONTES OF HAWORTH". I considered it an improvement over the 1946 film but found myself turned off by the bombastic dialogue. In the end, I discovered "TO WALK INVISIBLE", another biopic about the Brontë sisters. Despite my disappointment in the previous two productions about the sisters, I decided to give it a chance.

Unlike previous cinematic biographies of the Brontë family, the setting for "TO WALK INVISIBLE" during the three-year period between 1845 and 1848. The series began with the family's reunion at their home in Yorkshire, after Branwell Brontë was dismissed from his position as tutor, and Anne Brontë, who had been working as a governess for the same family, resignation. Anne reluctantly informed her two sisters - Emily and Charlotte - that Branwell had been dismissed for his sexual affair with the mistress of the house. The three sisters came to the conclusion that despite years working as governesses or housekeeping for their father, the Reverend Patrick Brontë, they had continued their one passion - writing. However, the sisters eventually realized the possibility of a bleak future for themselves, and they could no longer regard their writing as a mere hobby. Reverend Brontë's was becoming increasingly blind. The sisters also realized they could not depend upon Bramwell to support them, due to his alcoholism, lies and erratic behavior. Due to this realization, the three sisters decided to embark upon professional careers as authors in order to support the family's financial situation . . . and maintain their love for writing.

"TO WALK INVISIBLE" has to be the only Brontë family biopic that has failed to bore me. I think it is a well-paced drama that did an excellent job of exploring the family's emotional dynamics. Thanks to Sally Wainwright, it featured some tight writing. What I mean is . . . Wainwright did not drag the story's pacing, making it unnecessarily long. Yet, at the same time, she prevented the narrative at dashing forward at breakneck speed. Wainwright's excellent direction also helped the production.

Another aspect of "TO WALK INVISIBLE" that I found interesting was its raw portrayal of the Brontës' lives in Yorkshire. Most period dramas have a tendency to project of veneer of gentility in its production designs. The most "genteel" or "sophisticated" aspect of production designs for "TO WALK INVISIBLE" seemed to be Grant Montgomery's designs for Charlotte and Anne Brontë's journey to London in the movie's second half and Tom Pye's costume designs for the Charlotte Brontë character. However, Montgomery's production designs were not the only aspect of this movie that projected its raw portrayal of the Brontës' lives. I could also say the same about Wainwright's portrayal of financial desperation that faced the family by 1845 and Bramwell Brontë's behavior and the consequences. "THE WALK INVISIBLE" was not the first period drama from the U.K. that convey the more rugged aspect of life before the 20th century. But Wainwright's writing, dialogue (especially for Bramwell) and direction injected a certain rawness and energy that seemed more suited for crime dramas or war movies. And I loved it.

I cannot deny that I truly enjoyed the performances for "TO WALK INVISIBLE" - especially from those who portrayed the four Brontë siblings. Finn Adkins projected a great deal of emotional energy as the uber ambitious Charlotte Brontë. Chloe Pirrie struck me as equally energetic as the moody and sharp-tongued Emily Brontë, who also projected a fierce sense of protection toward her family - especially her father. Adam Nagaitis nearly stole the movie as the only brother, Branwell Brontë. I have to admit I found it fascinating to watch Nagaitis convey how Bramwell's self-destructive tendencies - alcohol and drug addiction, insecurity, and a licentious love affair with an employer's wife - led him to destroy the artistic potential within him. I realize that many would disagree with me, but I believe Charlie Murphy had the most difficult role in this production - that of the family's youngest sibling, Anne Brontë. I thought Murphy did an excellent job of portraying both Anne's reserved nature that barely hid a driving ambition. It is the type of role that people tend to ignore . . . just as many literary critics had ignored Anne Brontë for over a century. And finally, there was Jonathan Pryce, who portrayed the siblings' surviving parent, Patrick Brontë. I would not regard the Reverend Brontë as one of Pryce's most interesting roles. But I cannot deny that he gave a very solid performance as the family's patriarch, whose control and protection seemed to be in a decline due to age and oncoming blindness.

If there is another biographical production about the Brontë family that I might regard as compelling, please let me know. I realize that "TO WALK INVISIBLE" is not historically accurate - at least not completely. But thanks to the raw and energetic wiring and direction of Sally Wainwright, along with a superb cast, the two-part production did more to ignite my interest in the Brontë family than any other biopic or miniseries I have ever seen.