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It may feel like just yesterday, but in reality, it was nearly a decade ago when (currently 21-year-old) actor Jamie Bell made his film debut in 2000’s Billy Elliott. Although Bell has done an exceptional job of selecting quality roles in the few years since (we’ll ignore Jumper for now), his filmography has also played host to the glaring absence of a single, stand-out role signaling his arrival as a bona fide up-and-coming actor. Well, that was the case until Mister Foe came along.
Released in the U.K. under the title Hallam Foe, and currently on its way to the U.S. as Mister Foe via distributor Magnolia Pictures, the film follows troubled teen Hallam Foe (Bell), who has become a reclusive peeping tom since his mother died tragically in an unexplained accident. Hallam despises his new stepmother, who he believes to be involved with his mother’s untimely death, and leaves his father’s country estate to head for the city with nothing but the clothes on his back. After meeting an intriguing woman, Kate, who bears striking resemblance to his deceased mother, Hallam cons his way into a kitchen job at an upscale hotel while secretly pursuing Kate in his free time.
The Freudian themes are entirely too obvious to warrant anything more than a brief mention; the skill with which director David Mackenzie handles the topic is the real story. It’s not simply a case of ‘I’m going to stalk this woman who looks like my dead mother.’ Hallam has mommy issues, for sure, but there’s a lot more to it than that. He is dealing with the loss of his mother, the possibility his stepmother may have been involved, surviving a hostile new environment, and having to watch his love interest Kate get railed by an arrogant, married hotel executive, just for starters. It’s a lot for anyone to handle, much less a 17-year-old with an impressive set of issues to begin with.
The character of Hallam Foe is an interesting contemplation on the process of growing up, and it’s only fitting that, through the film, the audience gets to watch Jamie Bell do just that as an actor. Hallam ultimately comes to terms with the death of his mother, but it’s a long and tumultuous road to that point, along which, the true capacity of Bell’s acting talent is unearthed. Hallam is an angst-ridden, nearly unlikeable character, but Bell plays him with such charm and innocence it’s difficult not to relate. Sophia Myles, as Kate, delivers a great performance as well. Kate is just as lost a person as Hallam, albeit in a much different way. Both are a treat to watch, and the chemistry between the two is undeniable.
The film’s climax, wherein Hallam’s pent-up rage toward his stepmother finally explodes forth in a vicious act of retaliation, is one of my favorite scenes in recent cinema. Synced exuberantly to the song Boa vs. Python by Test Icicles, it had my jaw on the floor for nearly two minutes straight from the sheer audacity of it all. It is in this scene that Hallam’s emotional struggles finally come to fruition and the pieces of the puzzle fall into place in an angry, but ultimately, transformative, few minutes.
It bears mentioning the film’s soundtrack is another standout element of Mister Foe. Through a deal with a friend and executive at Domino Records, director Mackenzie was able to secure any song from Domino’s catalog he so desired for the film’s soundtrack. The disc is definitely worth picking up if you can find it, although the aforementioned Boa vs. Python is oddly absent (perhaps due to its drastically harder sound compared to the rest of the compilation).
Mister Foe is an excellent film, and the perfect vehicle for Jamie Bell to showcase his undeniable talent. David Mackenzie handles the decidedly dark material with such grace and care it’s easy to forget the subject matter in Foe is actually quite fucked up. At a rather scant 90 minutes, it’s all over before it began, but the feeling you’ve just witnessed something powerful lasts for days.
Grade: A
Mister Foe makes its U.S. debut at the SXSW Festival tomorrow (Thursday, March 13th), and opens in limited release May 23rd, 2008.
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