Empire Falls (2005)A wonderful, bittersweet pastiche of life. Helen Hunt's disillusioned man-dependent ex-wife asks Ed Harris' Roby "Did you dream of more when you were young?" The mini-series format is suitable for this rich story about closure. "Empire Falls" has a warm gooey sweetness and charm rooted in its small town setting - it also slowly reveals the underbelly of modern living much like Charles Dickens did in his books; based on Richard Russo's novel (he also scripted for the screen). Roby is still possessed by the demons of his past, still in love with his mother, and unable to let go of the safety of his present. His brother and friends keep reminding Roby of his potential and urge him to seize the opportunity to forge a better future for himself and his daughter. But Roby is kept prisoner, lulled into apathy by old lady Francine who finds satisfaction in his misfortune (Roby's mother had an affair with Francine's husband, played with compelling sadness by Phillip Seymour Hoffman). What I really like about "Empire Falls" was Russo's wisdom - the attention to detail, the tension between friends, the childhood love that never came to be, the unrealised ambitions the dreams of childhood. Above all, the film is magnificent because it asks us to change our present, go after what we want. It's an intricately woven tragedy but it soars because it never fails to make us laugh. ak
