Rent The Carer (2016)

The Carer review by Adrijan Arsovski - Cinema Paradiso

Carer (The Carer) is a tried-and-tested formula told with such delight as to put numerous indie dramas to shame. Moreover, Carer is also filmed in a way as to exude art in its highest, purest form, unattached to the central plot and unattached to the medium of film itself. In conclusion, Carer is highly memorable, enjoyable, inspiring, heartwarming, deeply emotional, and is also a term I often tend to avoid using: poignant.

The film stars the excellent Brian Cox as the ever-demanding Sir Michael, and big screen newcomer Coco Konig in the role of compassionate and smart Dorottya. In it, the once legendary actor Sir Michael Gifford is plagued by a rare incurable form of Parkinson’s disease, and requires medical care by aspiring actress Dorottya, both of them hoping their wishes would be fulfilled (he to be left alone, and her to hit it big). As the story progresses, so do the characters become more and more open to honesty and compassion, as the audience witness this character growth and bloom firsthand. Bloom because they happen to throw some of their previously assigned character traits (screenplay-wise) under the rug to show how they’ve truly, emotionally matured. Add to this the award-worthy performance of Brian Cox, and you have yourselves a heartfelt drama at works here folks.

Carer is not without its flaws; a certain side plot involving housekeeper Milly (Anna Chancellor), who is Sir Michael Gifford’s former darling, doesn’t resolve as well as it should (or at all for that matter). And this is where Carer fumbles: picking up narrative spots, exploring them to no end, and then putting them back on the shelf as if nothing ever happened. Also worth mentioning is the suspicions in light of Dorottya’s motives for accepting the job get no conclusion whatsoever.

Despite all the broken side plots, Carer still manages to convince audiences that it possesses some emotional depth – mostly thanks to the main story, which is presented firmly and ventures into some unfamiliar territory, albeit with no justifiable way of doings so. Still, Carer’s obsession with emotionality comes not from pondering to a wide audience demographic, but rather from the sharply developed Shakespearean themes and dialog that enriches the whole ordeal by adding real depth both character and story-wise.

Finally, Carer is life-changing to some extent, albeit meant in the most scrupulous of ways. And when paired with both the comedic and dramatic timings of underrated actor Brian Cox, Carer becomes more than a film and grazes the surface of what a timeless classic would look like (just not there yet). If you have a chance to pick up this film, do it quickly and do it now, alongside a warm cup of Earl Grey on a rainy Sunday night when it’s just you and your SO, or just you for that matter, no one will dare to judge.