The Roads Not Taken review: Ignore the (other) critics, this is a gem

Charlotte O'Sullivan11 September 2020

It’ll be easy to socially distance in cinemas showing this movie. Sally Potter’s latest has had such meh reviews that screening rooms (I’m guessing) will be full of seats not taken. Which is a shame.

Mexican-born writer Leo (Javier Bardem) lives in New York. He’s obviously been unwell for a while, and his protective daughter Molly (Elle Fanning) resembles a tired princess. Over 24 hours, their relationship will undergo a radical shift.

The words “early onset dementia” are never used but it’s clear Leo is finding it hard to manipulate words. Molly, in denial about how serious his problems are, plans to take him to the dentist and optometrist. She hopes to be finished by lunch so she can get back to work.

In between the grimy New York stuff (beautifully lit by Robbie Ryan), we see what Molly can’t see. Visions running through Leo’s head include encounters with distraught girlfriend Dolores (Salma Hayek), as well as chats with serene tourist Anni (Milena Tscharntke). Leo and Dolores argue, groggily, in Mexico. Leo and Anni flirt, dreamily, on a Greek island. You may assume Leo is dwelling on the past. But there are surprises in store. If the past is another country, Leo is on a different planet.

Though the script rarely spells things out, it’s full of home truths and is especially sharp when Leo and Molly are around health professionals. Leo is treated as bloody-minded and/or stupid by “experts” who can’t recognise naked terror when they see it. The optometrist, for example, makes a great show of politeness, but looks ready to slap Leo when the latter won’t follow basic commands. During these scenes, anyone who suffers from a brain disorder (or loves someone who does) will wince with recognition.

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That Leo is a foreigner makes him even more in need of Molly’s care. We’re used to Liam Neeson-types, who’ll do whatever it takes to save their daughters from scary outsiders. This movie turns that dynamic on its head. It’s not Taken.

Bardem’s gorgeous face is redolent of mountains, sherpas and intrepid goats. And how he uses it is brilliant. For some of the time, Leo looks effortlessly virile. Just as often, he’s pitiful and pathetic. When Leo sheds tears over a dead dog, it’s like his face is soiling itself. Fanning is also excellent as a daddy’s girl, used to charming her parent with giggles. Her strained laughter is haunting.

Meanwhile, Laura Linney and Katia Mullova-Brind impress as Molly’s seen-it-all mum and Mel, a tourist unmoved by Leo’s little-bard-lost act. Like Patricia Clarkson in The Party, Linney and Mullova-Brind are jaundiced in a way that inspires joy. What we’re left with is a story without heroes or villains. Asghar Farhadi’s A Separation begins with a woman’s decision to abandon a vulnerable relative.

Potter ends on a similar note. Guilt underpins everything, and it is shown to work in mysterious ways. Ignore carping critics. If you’re in the mood for a wise weepie, it’s your lucky day.

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