Is Anybody There?

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"I'm not scared, I just want to know what happens." Edward (Milner) is a ten-year-old boy who lives in an old folk's home run by his parents (Duff and Morrissey). Surrounded by death, Edward is fascinated with the after-life, sneaking his tape recorder under the bed of those not long for this world so he can record their last breath. Into this scene comes the depressed retired magician, Clarence (Caine), a dishevelled kook suffering from the onset of senility. Because his mother is too busy running the home and his father's head is turned by the tarty help (Linzey Cocker), Edward and Clarence become close friends, but their time together is limited.

Directed by Intermission and Boy A helmer John Crowley, Is Anybody There? is a buddy-buddy movie with a difference. Although sentimentality is unavoidable in such a scenario, Crowley never over-eggs the pudding, and even robs the audience of a couple of scenes that would have been obvious chokers. Nor does he rely on the pulling power of Caine or the cute appeal of his young star. After his delightful turn in Son of Rambow, young Milner shows here it was no fluke; maybe he's too young to appreciate the heavyweight talent he's acting opposite, but the lad isn't overwhelmed by Michael Caine. Or is it that Caine's reserved, low-key performance isn't besieging? Whatever it is, the two make a good team.

There are a few clunky moments that stick out, however. Edward's paranormal journal is dated 1987 but the epilogue, set some time after the events, sees Edward and his father go to see Back to the Future in the cinema, which came out in 1985. The elderly characters that live in the home are there for the audience's amusement, and dementia isn't the greatest form of light entertainment. In writing a story, seen through a child's eyes, about death and what happens after we die, writer Peter Harness attempts to simplify the difficult to explain it to himself (and the audience). There was never going to be an answer, however, and it doesn't have any new thoughts on the subject.

Although as deep as My Girl on the subject of death, Is Anybody There? Is an enjoyable and easy-going flick that tugs the heartstrings from time to time.