Sepia-toned, understated, Hardyesque - Dreaming of Joseph Lees is one of those rare, quiet films that hits with brute force. Its only serious fault is in a too-slim characterization of Harry - his desperation could and should have been a little more fleshed out. We're only given glimpses into the reasons behind his crippling dependency on Eva. Apparently lots of folks feel that Joseph Lees suffers from a similar near-transparency, but his character is what it must be - he has always been a romanticized ideal for Eva. And his fleshing out in her eyes, is present, but also patient, as it must be.
Near the end of the film, Morton turns in some of the best acting I've seen in years in a scene in which her Eva finds herself just inside the front door, literally caught between Harry (further inside the house) and Joseph (just outside the door). Rarely has heartbreak ever been so beautifully rendered in a performance as it is here.
It's a crying shame that this film has yet to find its audience.
Near the end of the film, Morton turns in some of the best acting I've seen in years in a scene in which her Eva finds herself just inside the front door, literally caught between Harry (further inside the house) and Joseph (just outside the door). Rarely has heartbreak ever been so beautifully rendered in a performance as it is here.
It's a crying shame that this film has yet to find its audience.