Truly Madly Deeply

"Truly Madly Deeply"
Anthony Minghella, 1990

A story about someone's grief following the death of a loved one is probably difficult to tell: it could veer into sappy and melodramatic territory, or it could remain incessantly dour. "Truly Madly Deeply," I think, comes close to balancing both aspects of such a story perfectly. It occasionally feels like a chick flick, but more often, there is a tragic tinge throughout the narrative. Most of all, it is a touching tale that is intelligently laid out. At the film's onset, the director Anthony Minghella earnestly strives to place us in the mourner's shoes, to make us feel her sorrow and her desperation. Nina, whose husband, Jamie, has suddenly died, always seems to be on the brink of collapse. Her new flat is infested with rats, and she has to put up with her obnoxious sister, and with men who want to date her. She tries to hide her anxieties behind a flimsy veneer, but she can't help herself; she breaks down and cries. The actress Juliet Stevenson, who looks both young and haggard, gives a remarkable, heartbreaking performance; we can see, in her unconsciously nervous mannerisms and in her taut facial expressions, how quickly Jamie's death has aged her.

And then, while Nina is at her most distressed, Jamie's ghost manifests itself. Alan Rickman delivers a wonderful, rich performance: he can be fun and witty, but there is also an ambiguous air about him, because we are unsure whether the ghost is beneficial or detrimental to Nina's health. She stays within her flat for days at a time to remain with Jamie, but she also gets sick of his presence and goes out on a date. It is a fun dilemma that brings up a number questions concerning death. Is the mourner simply delusional if the now-dead person seems to manifest itself physically? When is it appropriate to mourn, and then to move on with one's life? What I like most about "Truly Madly Deeply" is that it manages to both elevate, to great emotional heights, and humorously reduce Jamie. After all, most of us seem to gloss over people's faults once they have died.

First Viewed: 8/12/08, on a subpar DVD - IMDb