Flashbacks Of A Fool Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES PLOT SUMMARY
A fading Hollywood star looks back at the days of his youth as he returns home from his best friend's funeral.
| Daniel Craig | Joe Scott |
| Harry Eden | Young Joe Scott |
| Eve | Ophelia Franklin |
| Miriam Karlin | Mrs. Rogers |
| Jodhi May | Evelyn Adams |
| Helen McCrory | Peggy Tickell |
| Olivia Williams | Grace Scott |
| Felicity Jones | Young Ruth Davies |
| Keeley Hawes | Jesse Scott |
| Sid Mitchell | Chillo |
| Alfie Allen | Kevin Hubble |
| Claire Forlani | Ruth Davies |
| Mark Strong | Mannie Miesel |
| James D'Arcy | Jack Adams |
| Annabel Linder | Dawn |
| Baillie Walsh |
6.50 out of 10 (381 votes)
Visitor Reviews
it was so cool i saw two screenings back to back
posted on 17 Jul 2009Everything about this film is magic. The casting, acting, scenery - at points like a picture postcard - you have to see it on the big screen but I will be purchasing the DVD when released, script (although at one point i was beginning to think the sex was rather gratuitous and wondered where the plot was heading which is also fabulous as it means the film was not entirely predictable), the soundtrack - I put on my Bryan Ferry CDs when I got home (cool), the tripyness of the whole visiting glamorous Miami lifestyle versus British country quaint and modern day adulthood against 70s innocence. Woah the ending so cool and probably why I wanted to see it again as I wanted to go back to the beginning and appreciate the characters knowing their history. Joe is no fool and there should be a sequel but not called Flashbacks of a Fool II and Ruth should be in it. Pure magic !
One of the best 'true to life' movie I have ever seen!
posted on 03 Jul 2009A must see movie with good plot, great cast, brilliant acting, talented filmmakers, beautiful film setting and fabulous movie soundtrack (my favorite is 'Sons Of' by Scott Walker). A 'very good' movie should convey to the viewers about important realities in life; and should be able to offer uplifting themes. The filmmakers of this movie delivered all these criteria with ease. I'm still thinking about this movie, even after watching it for the fourth time. I would have to purchase the movie so I can see it again and again; plus listen to the movie soundtrack as much as I want.I read a number of negative reviews about this movie before I rented it; and I don't understand what the negativity was all about. I'd say never read critics' reviews, just go see the movie. This movie definitely has a lot of substance! Kudos to Baillie Walsh, Daniel Craig and the rest of the 'brilliant' cast in sharing with us the viewers such a memorable film.
are you wearing make-up?.....
posted on 01 Jul 2009An ageing Hollywood star, Joe Scott, lives a life of narcissistic hedonism, observed by his laconic personal assistant, Ophelia. The death of his childhood best friend, Boots, takes our protagonist, and the movie, into an extended flashback to a sea-side town in 1970's Britain. Hollywood star Joe is now a teenage boy in a tentative relationship with a school-girl called Ruth. Further, his mother's friend, Evelyn, is attempting to seduce him. Engulfed by guilt at the unintended, tragic consequences of his subterfuge, he leaves home. The movie then switches back to contemporary Hollywood. Joe confronts his fear and returns to England for a difficult meeting with Ruth, who had gone on to marry Boots and has been a left a poor widow.....another great movie overlooked in cinemas when released, this is Craigs pet project, and he has sacrificed a lot of screen time, to make a really interesting movie about life growing up and the mistakes that you make when you are young and impressionable.the cinematography is delightful, and during the first act, it shows Craig with everything, but the house he lives in is somewhat desolate, indicating that he has a big hole in his life that is missing something.the flashbacks are reminiscent to Todd Haynes movie 'Velvet Goldmine', in the fact that the young friends are finding their 'sexual feet', and the music has a very sexual feel to it too.sometimes the film feels heavily cut, and it would have been beneficial to the film if we learnt more about Joe and Boots friendship, but this is just a minor gripe.the performances are flawless, and although Craig sounds a little too much like Simon Cowell, he is self deprecating enough not to make this a vanity project.
Quite possibly my favourite movie of 2008 - A story told with heartfelt emotion
posted on 25 Jun 2009There's a saying I heard a long time ago... "The person that's got everything has nothing" and this movie kind of explains one way of looking at it (in my opinion).In a materialistic influenced world we live in it can be easy to fall into how believing happiness and wellbeing comes only from having all the things wealth can bring i.e. the clean cut minimalist house walking out onto the white sand overlooking a beautiful serene sea, a selection of gleaming new sports cars, the tailored clothes etc etc. But I guess for some people who have reached this place/goal in their life have focused on the goal so much that they've forgotten where they've come from and what they may have been running from.Now what this gem of a movie does is carefully and meticulously unravel the story of a troubled man in this very situation, dealing with the daemons of his past, the spontaneous difficult decisions he had to make as a boy which has carved this stone cold embodiment of a man on the edge of existence.Now I'm not going to break down and dissect this film and give a whole rundown on how and why I think this is a great movie but I will say this. The story of a nasty main character (amazing job from both Daniel Craig and Harry Eden) and showing the world that he lives in and lived in by slowly letting the viewer past his metaphorical protective wall while allowing the viewer to piece together how and why he is the way he is, is presented exquisitely.I don't want to give anything away on the plot and story but I have to say there where two parts that absolutely blew me away and I'll just give you a vague hint. One involving a shot of artwork with intention of displaying a contrast of relation between the background and foreground giving an artistic viewpoint on the real subject matter (works on so many levels) and the other being a close up shot which encapsulated a lot of emotion and made my heart just drop.all in all the whole production was done well, especially the editing (even though it's obviously apparent they had some great content to work with) and did, for me, what all great stories do, kept me entertained through demanding my full attention and rewarding that attention in the form of an emotional roller-coaster.Last note: please try not to second guess while trying to predict what's coming next and how it ends. Just enjoy the story that is being told because it's been executed very well.PS: I would have given this a 10 but wanted other readers to take this review seriously as I do love the art of storytelling, especially a good movie and it's unfortunate that there's too many marketing teams pushing up star ratings here on IMDb.Thanks for reading my first review and I hope you enjoy "Flashbacks of a Fool" as much as I did.
personally enjoyed it. perfect for those who like weird story plots
posted on 20 May 2009Personally I think the main role shined a light on Daniel Craig, if you gave his part to some egotistical American, the film would not have been as good. Great cast all around I think. Baillie Walsh - that's a name I wanna hear more often behind a film. Very well written, a perfect plot to my taste for films that makes you all emotional. Can't say much wrong with it. Only thing is - came off a bit short. Like how did Joe become an actor when he left home, there must have been an interesting story behind it, how he handled the grief. Anyways if you like emotional, heart-aching stories filled with lust and glam rock that makes you feel young again or makes you wish you were born early enough to be there - it's a definite must see, but that's only my view.
Best movie I've seen in quite a while
posted on 30 Apr 2009I thought Flashbacks Of A Fool was about a decadent narcissist fast living actor and the crazy life he led with all the sex,drugs and parties. Well, it is but only in the first minutes of the film, what you'll see here is his childhood.After the death of his best friend, Joe Scott sits back and in a extended flashback the movie shows us how he was as a teenager and how life was in the 70's.The story is very interesting and the movie was beautifully shot and the musical score couldn't be more appropriated(just ignore that final music when the credits roll over).There's also a lip sync scene you won't forget. Daniel Craig was great, he has great charisma, I would really like to see more of him outside of the 007 franchise.Harry Eden did a great job as well and seems to be a very promising actor. Best movie I've seen in quite a while. 8/10
nice step back into childhood emotional beginnings and where they get caught up.
posted on 02 Apr 2009Cleverly written step back into how our lives get mixed up and don't get sorted at source so they effect our later lives. The simple truths are realised here, many 30-40 somethings will find many references to their own lives,release those feelings and we can live again. Simple good acting, good story, fantastic music, and very good emotional but simple ride, more of the same please. Daniel Craig plays emotionally pent up, spent up actor well, lovely mid scenes of the way we were in the early seventies. The Roxy Music song played in my head for a week after and i;d never heard it before. A must see for any romantic or any amateur psychologist or spiritualist or anybody living a life with repressed emotions...oh thats everybody then.
A simple, but highly compelling and emotive tale .
posted on 21 Mar 2009How far do our decisions in life take us, and how long do we eventually live by the ripples that such choices create? Flashbacks of a Fool, the debut feature from writer and director Ballie Walsh, takes it upon itself to divulge in such questions, and the answers that it gives, although extremely simplified and a little underwhelming in scope, nevertheless pack a resounding and emotional punch. Taking its time to develop rounded characters that stay within the confines of real life whilst managing to retain a sense of compelling relevancy, the feature tells a story that most audiences should be able to take something from. Sure it sometimes moves at a snail's pace, and suffers from an extremely incoherent third act, yet despite the movie's biggest problems, it's the things that Walsh does right that makes Flashbacks such an enjoyable drama for anyone that likes to explore the darker sides of human desire.A story with three distinct, crudely sewn together acts, Flashbacks of a Fool tells the story of a has-been actor, now spending most of his days drinking, doing drugs and paying women to sleep with him. Opening with current day Joe Scott (Daniel Craig) the movie introduces us to the waster in a very poignant and effective first act that details Joe's incessant need for indulgence at the expense of everyone around him. This in turn then sets up the real meat of the story, which in turn is set a good twenty or thirty years in the past, back in Joe's teenage years. Through this lens we observe Joe as he chooses the paths that eventually lead to the character we have so far been introduced to. Of course, we know instinctively where it's all going to go, and Walsh's script sometimes gets caught up in details involving this development, but in turn it is these details that give Flashbacks its heart and soul.The details I'm referring to of course are little things called characters; Walsh makes sure to keep Flashbacks of a Fool rich in characterization, by using only a minimum ensemble. Through this the film manages to convey both the character of Joe and his decisions in an objective light; we see the decisions he makes, and the people that those decisions affect, most of the time without him realizing. Coming full circle with a scene that capitalizes on the real selfish nature of both his and another character's choices, the movie achieves its resonating moment of poignancy through a death that is built upon drawing tears. From here on in Flashbacks never quite reaches the same height, and the pacing and overall structure is bothersome, particularly during a mostly useless third act which staples itself to act two as a kind of conclusion that fails to offer much –if any- resolution.Such is Flashbacks of a Fool's biggest problem; its framing and structure. Although each segment is finely told and expertly shot, the script always comes across as being informant, but incoherently so. As a result, the middle act never truly feels connected to the two that bookmark it, and obviously certain characterisation is null and negated as a consequence. The performances from Craig, and standout Harry Eden who plays Joe as a teenager, are solid enough, and play to the same grounding personality traits to offer a sense of progression from A to B, yet the script's slapped together and undeveloped feel often distracts away from these highlights. Nevertheless, with a wonderful ensemble cast mostly comprising of minor-star English talents, Flashbacks isn't just a powerful, and relevant story told with three dimensional characters; the cast themselves embody their personas effectively and with great consistency, at least until the third act. But then again, you can't blame them for getting confused with such a massive leap in narrative.Perhaps one of the standout features of the film however lies in its aesthetic design. From the magnificent on-location settings to the retro costumes, cinematographer John Mathieson has the wonderful job here of capturing it all as best as he can, and that he does. Not only does he frame his wide-angle establishing shots with a serene sense of natural beauty, but there are also many instances of remarkable angles, lens effects and framings of much closer shots that embody similar moods; evoking both emotion towards the characters on screen, and at the same time capturing moments usually punctuated with a song from the nostalgic soundtrack with much needed simplicity. And yet, this is essentially what Flashbacks of a Fool comes down to; it's simplicity. Detailing the paths of a young man and how he came to be the wasted, indulgent has-been that he is, Flashbacks is a simple, but highly compelling and emotive tale about humanity, our desires, choices and companions that travel with us along the way. It may not be a smooth journey by any means, but it's got enough heart to make it a memorable and rewarding one.- A review by Jamie Robert Ward (http://www.invocus.net)
If you are willing to become emotionally involved - this film is for you.
posted on 01 Mar 2009This film was right up my street. I would recommend it to anyone who is happy and indeed eager to become emotionally involved in a story. I have to say that the lip sync sequence was outstanding and it stayed in my head for days afterwards. I was thinking about the film for days after I'd seen it. There was something incredible for me in the way the whole film was shot but especially the flashbacks to the seaside - it awoke something for me from that era that I had forgotten about from my childhood and I found it strangely comforting. Not that I grew up near the sea but it struck a chord deep inside. How great to be able to capture something so brilliantly and bring it to life for others. I am envious of Baillie WALSH for this but thank God for him also. I look forward to seeing what else can be done.Daniel CRAIG was stunning in the role, and brought it to life by showing us something we haven't seen in him too often - the sadder/nastier character - although his physique was maybe a little too perfect to make the decadent, fast living, hedonistic junkie completely believable - although I will forgive him for this! Harry EDEN who played the young Joe showed us all the awkwardness of youth and adolescence along with the desperation to grow up and all it's pitfalls. He was stunning on screen and oozed fragility. I would have liked to see the link showing how young Joe became an actor but understand there is a limit to how long a film can reasonably be.Similarly to NOTES ON A SCANDAL and THE MOTHER - this for me was the kind of film that I could enjoy over and over and each time still feel that I am a seeing something I shouldn't - like a secret - and watching every delicious moment without being noticed myself.
Sometimes it takes a knell...
posted on 27 Feb 2009Films of reflection are too few and often the result of climbing to a summit only to gaze back at the shadows never cast in the greedy race for the top ends i tragedy. FLASHBACKS OF A FOOL suggests, by its title, that the story may be different, that there may be some redemption at the core of an abusive life. Writer/director Baillie Walsh sets his story in opening frames of intense sexual, drug accompanied debauchery. But as the credits fade, the lead character Joe Scott (Daniel Craig) faces a morning of hung over reality. A wealthy Hollywood star whose lifestyle has hastened his aging, Joe is 'managed' by the stern Ophelia (Eve) who is tiring of Joe's wasted lifestyle. Her warnings, as well as Joe's agent's confrontation that Joe is too old looking for a new screenplay, is compounded by a telephone call that Joe's boyhood friend Boots (Max Deacon) has suddenly died, leaving Joe's old first girlfriend Ruth (Claire Forlani) an early widow. Depressed and drunk Joe walks his beach and reflects on his youth. The 'flashback' tales us to Joe's teenage years (the young Joe is Harry Eden) with Boots as his closest friend and Ruth (Felicity Jones), the girl Joe craves. But hormones rule and Joe is an easy prey for his married next door neighbor: during one of their trysts a tragedy occurs that results in Joe's fleeing home for the 'successful' yet empty life he finds in Hollywood. At the request of Joe's mother (Olivia Williams) he flies back to England where he is forced to confront the early damage he caused in the lives of his family and friends. Daniel Craig and Harry Eden are excellent in their mirrored roles of the young and the older Joe. In fact there is not a weak member of this fine British cast. Though the story takes place in England the film was shot in South Africa (cinematographer John Mathieson) and the rickety beach houses on the small bay where Boots and Joe spend their time is picturesque and adds the right sense of isolation to the story. At 114 minutes the film goes on a bit too long with areas for editing a bit too obvious. But the overall effect of FLASHBACKS OF A FOOL is a satisfying journey through a memory that holds a light to the incidents of youth that can alter too many lives if not mended. Grady Harp
when you were young...
posted on 05 Feb 2009I vaguely remembered this film earning some unflattering reviews when it came out in the UK last year but was prepared to give it a go. I thought maybe I was on to a winner with the soft-focus opening sequence played out against an old Scott Walker song, but unfortunately that - and another romanticised sequence featuring a Roxy Music song which proves to be one of the more important scenes of the entire film - were the few high points in an otherwise disappointing effort.The theme - the loss of youth and the realisation that we have lost more than we had ever realised with its' passing - is a universal one which means it has the potential to speak to everyone who watches it. A few years ago I saw a photograph taken of myself when I was 17 with my arms around a couple of female friends I have long since lost contact with and I was shaken by the depth of feelings that ordinary photograph aroused. A sudden reminder of a past time can serve as a violent wake-up call simply because it can re-awaken thoughts and feelings that life have slowly and almost completely anaesthetised, so the last scene also resonated with me (I didn't burst into hysterical tears like Ruth when I saw the photo - stiff-upper-lipped Brit and all that, don't yer know - but you get what I mean). Anyway, although it did resonate, too much of what had gone before was so indulgent as to border on the laughable. The film as a whole also fails to gel: there's no real sense of time despite the references to Roxy Music and Bowie, or place (the film, largely set in Britain, was filmed in South Africa) and relationships that are central to the story are largely unexplored.Daniel Craig performs well, as do all the cast, but they're up against a director intent on showing how sensitive and deep his story is. I lost count of the number of times we were treated to shots of the sea or the lake, the occasions when character's faces are shot through glass reflecting cloudy skies, etc. It's all very meaningful and artistic, but it's also a bit too obvious to be effective, and the fundamental theme of the storyline means that they aren't really necessary.The choice of music is first-class though.
I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this movie
posted on 24 Jan 2009Saw it last night. I went to bed thinking about it and woke up thinking about it. This is just my sort of film: sensitive, poignant, melancholy, heartbreakingly beautiful. Yes, there were some things I would have changed (more about Joe and Boots or a longer scene between Joe and Ruth in later life) but essentially this is a film about guilt and self-loathing which eventually needs to be confronted. Imagine the effect of what he and Evelyn were doing when her daughter died as he was growing up? Would that have messed him up about sex and forming close human relationships, i.e. when he does, someone dies? He should have been with Ruth but he was taken advantage of by Evelyn and wasn't old enough to make the right decision. As it happened, the innocence all came to an abrupt halt and he never got a chance. I thought Harry Eden did a fantastic job: a boy on the brink of becoming a man but just so, so innocent (albeit mixed with some flashes of the more selfish Joe to come). We didn't see what happened to Joe in between the time he ran away and the grown up Joe - we can only surmise. I loved the cinematography of the flashback, the soft summer light inside the house, the use of sea waves to link 70s England with modern L.A. The Roxy Music lip-sync was worth the price of the ticket alone. The ending was a bit abrupt but I think it worked. It was painful to watch Ruth cry finally.
Not very good
posted on 29 Dec 2008There was a ten or so minute interlude about half-way through that worked - some interesting and realistic interaction between the young protagonist and the girl he's getting to know - discussing Bowie lyrics, dressing up, spreading out on the luxurious white carpet and culminating in a wonderful Bryan Ferry and backing vocalist impersonation double act. Unfortunately everything that goes before and comes afterwards is generally dull and unconvincing, verging at times on the preposterous. Some of the dialogue is cringe-making and the tendency to turn on the formulaic swirling mushy musical score to buy some emotional involvement at the slightest hint of a poignant moment had the opposite of the intended effect. Most of the period detail is good but there are also mistakes. The following did not exist here in Britain in the early 70s when the youthful episodes occurred: the kind of door that camouflages a fridge as a cupboard, the one-fingered rather than two-fingered insulting salute, and calling someone a loser. For a film of this kind - about human relationships or the lack of them - the dialogue is very poor indeed - neither witty, authentic or insightful, although the scriptwriter presumably thought it was all three. The central incident in which a mother's lustful pursuit of the teenage protagonist has a tragic outcome is an absurd contrivance and is absurdly milked with the aforementioned loathsome music for pathos that isn't there. By the end all semblance of credibility is lost - instead of coming home the wayward actor seems to have wandered into the valley of the dolls, such is the unnatural knockout beauty that all the women seem to have attained during his prolonged absence, and yet the screenplay achieves the singular feat at this point of being more boring than a random unedited slice of an average person's daily life. Still, the nice scenery and intermittent good moments, mainly that scene in the middle, were enough to make the whole thing just about bearable overall.
Agreed completely on the excellence of this film with mjdog (so I pasted their comment) Well done!
posted on 13 Dec 2008Author: mjdog from United Kingdom This film was right up my street. I would recommend it to anyone who is happy and indeed eager to become emotionally involved in a story. I have to say that the lip sync sequence was outstanding and it stayed in my head for days afterwards. I was thinking about the film for days after I'd seen it. There was something incredible for me in the way the whole film was shot but especially the flashbacks to the seaside - it awoke something for me from that era that I had forgotten about from my childhood and I found it strangely comforting. Not that I grew up near the sea but it struck a chord deep inside. How great to be able to capture something so brilliantly and bring it to life for others. I am envious of Baillie WALSH for this but thank God for him also. I look forward to seeing what else can be done.Daniel CRAIG was stunning in the role, and brought it to life by showing us something we haven't seen in him too often - the sadder/nastier character - although his physique was maybe a little too perfect to make the decadent, fast living, hedonistic junkie completely believable - although I will forgive him for this! Harry EDEN who played the young Joe showed us all the awkwardness of youth and adolescence along with the desperation to grow up and all it's pitfalls. He was stunning on screen and oozed fragility. I would have liked to see the link showing how young Joe became an actor but understand there is a limit to how long a film can reasonably be.Similarly to NOTES ON A SCANDAL and THE MOTHER - this for me was the kind of film that I could enjoy over and over and each time still feel that I am a seeing something I shouldn't - like a secret - and watching every delicious moment without being noticed myself.
I think I am a fool to watch this
posted on 13 Dec 2008This film is about a fading British actor facing his demons from his adolescent days."Flashback of a Fool" features heavenly scenery just like any national geographic documentary. Every scene is shot in amazing weather, with absolutely clear skies. The home Joe lives in is modern and luxurious, and is certainly my dream house. Yet, all these are not enough to make "Flashback of a Fool" entertaining. The pacing is ultra slow, and even after 1.5 hours I am still wondering what the film is exactly about. There is little drama, and almost nothing (apart from nudity) to engage the viewers. The only dramatic scene is the seaside explosion. This one minute scene unfortunately is the highlight of the film. Only after this scene the film begins to make some sense, but by then I have lost all interest in the film already. Oh, and "Flashbacks of a Fool" is a misnomer because there is really only one flashback which lasts for over an hour. I think I am a fool to watch this dull and boring film.
One of my favorites, beautifully done
posted on 07 Dec 2008If this movie has an overall theme, it seems to concern the profound influence a few childhood events can have in shaping people's lives. That theme is intelligently handled here, because events that might be portrayed as purely negative also have their positive aspects. Out of strife we grow. And that is what this movie seems to want to convey.There are gaps in the plotting and unexplained situations, but that is more the norm in books and movies than most people would like to admit. That is why we depend on such things as emotion, good music, good cinematography, etc., to smooth over those rough edges, and that is what we get here.Some scenes are so memorable that they would be difficult to ever forget: especially the scene where the young Joe dances as the girl he wants to date sings. You can see that this is a wonderful moment for both of them. Unfortunately it is spoiled by subsequent events. But in the end, there is redemption of a kind.There is not really much more to say (without spoiling the movie) except that I highly recommend this movie. Congratulations to the writers, musicians, director, actors, really everyone who was involved in making it.
Didn't Craig Read the Script Before Promising to do This Movie?
posted on 23 Nov 2008This is perhaps the worst movie I have seen since Igby Goes Down. It is truly awful. Walsh cannot direct or write. He can make pop videos and probably rather good adverts. The script is woeful, the story pointless. Craigs character, whilst shown at the beginning as a self-obsessed, over indulgent movie star never redeems himself throughout the movie, which I imagine was meant to be the reason for the two hours of tiresome clichés. Craig's character at one point asks his agent if he has read the script to movie he hopes to be in. I was left wondering if Craig even read the script before he agreed to be executive producer and lead actor! The audience in the cinema I saw this movie in were just laughing at the ridiculously melodramatic ending. A naked Daniel Craig, and a quick flash of Jodie May's tits do not make a good movie. Utter, utter testicles. Walsh may think a good taste in music and architecture and Daniel Craig walking around like John Wayne with hemorrhoids makes a great film but he is sorely mistaken. He should never be allowed near a movie camera again, and Daniel Craig should apologise for being involved in such an enormous pile of the brown stuff.Having seen Shine a Light last week I thought it would be quite difficult to plum such depths of mediocrity but Walsh has managed it.
There is nothing foolish about this film.
posted on 23 Nov 2008Although Flashbacks of a Fool is Daniel Craig's pet project – he's the film's executive producer as well as its star – it actually contains surprisingly little of the blonde hunk (though for the ladies out there, you do, admittedly, get to see his bum).Craig plays Joe Scott, a movie star who has plenty of money and sexual satisfaction in his life, one which - when he is not indulging in coke-addled rumpy pumpy at least - is mostly spent looking out to the sea from his minimalist cliff-top pad.Yet he has no real friends and seemingly no real future – "there's no role for you ANYWHERE," his agent tells Joe, a moment after he has seen his client throw his prized mobile phone out of a restaurant window.As Joe begins to wonder what has happened to his life, we are taken back to his adolescent days of first love on the quiet English seaside, to discover what this Brit has in fact been trying to hide from with a life of debauchery and excess in LA.Even a fan of this film should be able see why some might find it slow and slightly dull, as it does rely on the viewer sharing in a sense of glory in the mystical power of great records, the tragic romance of nostalgia and regret, and the theme of washed-up stardom.Perhaps that provides limited scope for the film to garner a wide audience, but for those who can find true enjoyment from subtle portrayals of youth and humanity as much as from the more obvious merits of rapid plot progression that will matter little. The direction is superb, the script never feels rushed, and the wistful tone of someone looking back to their yesterdays to get on with their today is rare in its realisation of artistic vision.There's no big finale, but that's not to say that the conclusion is anything less than perfect in its mood and its timing. A literate film that is there to relish on a quiet afternoon, Flashbacks of a Fool feels more typical of a book by Ian McEwan (though thankfully it bears little in common to the cinematic version of Atonement) than a film starring the current Bond. It could also have you listening to Roxy Music for the rest of your weekend, even if you've never before had the urge to sing along to Bryan Ferry in the bath - a pleasing added bonus.There is nothing foolish about this film – watch it accordingly.
1 Word and that word is Heartfelt
posted on 04 Oct 2008Firstly as I have been reading more recently this will be my first review for the simple reason that I have never been compelled to write about something I've ever watched before. This is not the sort of film I would usually watch, in the past and I suppose in the future I will always like action movies that you watch and just let drift over you. FBOF didn't drift over me it smacked straight into me I loved it every minute. Great story. beautifully acted, emotional, I can't wait to see a friend thats seen it so I can have a proper chat. It tore me apart, If you we're born in the 70's the soundtrack will add to your enjoyment. More like this please
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I saw it 1st
posted on 16 Aug 2009This is my 1st ever post on IMDb so I apologise in advance if it's crap! I was 1 of the 1st members of public to see this film as I attended a preview for research and marketing purposes and i had to fill in a questionnaire at the end...yadayadayada (U know what i mean). The film was not what i expected at all. I was expecting a load of drug taking scenes and thought the whole film would have a "dirty" feel to it such as "Blow" or "Pulp Fiction" but it actually turned out to be a very sensitive film. I was moved by the emotional story of this guy's messed up childhood. I was extremely impressed by Claire Forlani's performance even though she's not in the film for that long. This film will give you goosebumps and a trembling lip from the emotional roller-coaster that is this Flashbacks Of A Fool. Good film. Girls in their 30s to late 40s will prefer it to guys. Great 70s Soundtrack (and that's coming from me, a 23 year old!) The soundtrack album should be really good.Thanks for devoting 2 minutes of your life to read this! I really appreciate it.