Hallam Foe
Encyclopedia
Hallam Foe is a 2007 Scottish drama film directed by David Mackenzie
based on the novel
written by Peter Jinks. The film was released in the United States as Mister Foe. The screenplay was written by Ed Whitmore
and David Mackenzie.
Hallam Foe premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on 16 February 2007 and competed for the Golden Bear for Best Motion Picture. The film won the Silver Bear for Best Music.
The film was released in the UK
on 31 August 2007 and in the US on 5 September 2008.
. His hobby is spying on people from his tree house. Hallam is convinced that his stepmother (Verity) is responsible for his mother's death by drowning two years earlier. Hallam's sister leaves home to attend university and it becomes clear that Verity and his father want Hallam to move on as well. Hallam initially refuses due to his suspicion of Verity, but she uses his diaries first to have sex with him and then to blackmail
him into leaving. To escape his father and stepmother, Hallam travels to Edinburgh
.
Upon arrival in Edinburgh, Hallam sees Kate, an administrator at the Balmoral Hotel
, located in the city centre. Kate bears a striking resemblance to his late mother. He manages to persuade her to give him a job as a kitchen porter in the hotel. Hallam makes his home in the clock tower of the hotel because of its vantage point over Kate's home in a top flat, where he can spy on her. He also spies on Kate through a skylight on her roof, clambering over the roofscape to reach his vantage point.
Hallam learns that another senior hotel employee (Alasdair) is having an extra-marital affair with Kate. Alasdair then discovers Hallam's lookout in the clock tower. Hallam attempts to blackmail Alasdair with the knowledge of his adultery
, but Alasdair dismisses him. Hallam retaliates by finding Alasdair's wife and child and thereby demonstrating the ability, if he wishes, to inform her of the affair, which forces Alasdair to give him back his job.
Hallam eventually works his way up to being a front-of-house porter at the hotel. On his 18th birthday, Kate invites Hallam to have a few drinks
after work. Whilst drunk, Hallam reveals his continuing love for his late mother. This seems to fascinate Kate, as she "likes creepy guys". A complex relationship starts to build between Hallam and Kate from this point.
Kate first invites him home with her that night, and when she attempts to seduce him, he begins to get uncomfortable and instead they sleep in the same bed. The next day he asks her on a date and she rejects him, but later she asks him to one of the hotel rooms and they have sex.
When Hallam is watching Kate, Alasdair confronts her and begins to act violently. Hallam comes through the skylight to save her, which results in her finding out that he had been spying. She tells Alasdair to leave. She punishes Hallam by making him stand nude and explain to her why he was spying. She feels bad for him after he tells her about his mother and she lets him stay. She puts on the dress that Hallam keeps that used to be his mother's, and when Hallam sees her he cries, and they fall asleep together.
Hallam's father and stepmother track Hallam down at this time because Hallam had reported his suspicions about his mother's death to the police in Edinburgh. They track him down because his father has run up significant debts and needs to develop
some of the land on the estate, but Hallam is entitled to consultation under his mother's will
. Hallam refuses to co-operate due to his suspicion of Verity.
Hallam's hatred of Verity consumes him entirely, and he tries to drown her in the loch by his father's house. However, his humanity takes over and he revives her. Only at this point does his father reveal that he had made no attempt to prevent Hallam's mother from committing suicide. This revelation allows Hallam to realise that his anger is in fact with his mother for leaving him. This cathartic moment enables him to move on for the first time and we leave him happy and content walking the streets of Edinburgh.
with their song "Hallam Foe Dandelion Blow" along with songs from James Yorkston
, u.n.p.o.c.
, King Creosote
, Sons and Daughters
, Four Tet
, Psapp
, Juana Molina
and Test Icicles
, amongst others.
David Mackenzie stated at a Questions and Answers session at the GFT preview screening, that he had five songs in mind that he wanted to use in the film, but only one survived in the place he wanted it, that being "Here on My Own" by u.n.p.o.c.
.
, who also does all the drawings and writing in Hallam's diaries.
gives the film a rating of 72% based on 60 reviews, judging it as "Certified Fresh" with the critical consensus "Carefully balanced between the dark and the dreamy, Mister Foe is a charged coming-of-age story with whimsy and bite."
Metacritic
, which assigns a weighted average
out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 62, based on 18 reviews.
David Mackenzie (director)
David Mackenzie is a Scottish film director. His brother is actor Alastair MacKenzie.-Selected films:*Perfect Sense starring Ewan McGregor and Eva Green*You Instead David Mackenzie (born 10 May 1966) is a Scottish film director. His brother is actor Alastair MacKenzie.-Selected films:*Perfect...
based on the novel
Hallam Foe (novel)
Hallam Foe is the debut novel of writer Peter Jinks. It was published on August 11, 2001 and has inspired a film adaptation by Ed Whitmore, by the same name, which stars Jamie Bell, and was released in the UK on August 31, 2007.-Plot summary:...
written by Peter Jinks. The film was released in the United States as Mister Foe. The screenplay was written by Ed Whitmore
Ed Whitmore
Ed Whitmore is a British screenwriter. He has written for a number of successful British TV series such as Waking the Dead. In 2003 he wrote the Waking The Dead episode Multistory, directed by Robert Bierman, which won the show an Emmy for Best International Drama Series...
and David Mackenzie.
Hallam Foe premiered at the Berlin Film Festival on 16 February 2007 and competed for the Golden Bear for Best Motion Picture. The film won the Silver Bear for Best Music.
The film was released in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
on 31 August 2007 and in the US on 5 September 2008.
Plot
Hallam Foe is a teenage loner who lives on his father's large estate near PeeblesPeebles
Peebles is a burgh in the committee area of Tweeddale, in the Scottish Borders, lying on the River Tweed. According to the 2001 Census, the population was 8,159.-History:...
. His hobby is spying on people from his tree house. Hallam is convinced that his stepmother (Verity) is responsible for his mother's death by drowning two years earlier. Hallam's sister leaves home to attend university and it becomes clear that Verity and his father want Hallam to move on as well. Hallam initially refuses due to his suspicion of Verity, but she uses his diaries first to have sex with him and then to blackmail
Blackmail
In common usage, blackmail is a crime involving threats to reveal substantially true or false information about a person to the public, a family member, or associates unless a demand is met. It may be defined as coercion involving threats of physical harm, threat of criminal prosecution, or threats...
him into leaving. To escape his father and stepmother, Hallam travels to Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
Upon arrival in Edinburgh, Hallam sees Kate, an administrator at the Balmoral Hotel
Balmoral Hotel
The Balmoral is a luxury five-star hotel and landmark in Edinburgh, Scotland, known as the North British Hotel until the late 1980s. It is located in the heart of the city at the east end of Princes Street, the main shopping street beneath the Edinburgh Castle rock, and the southern edge of the New...
, located in the city centre. Kate bears a striking resemblance to his late mother. He manages to persuade her to give him a job as a kitchen porter in the hotel. Hallam makes his home in the clock tower of the hotel because of its vantage point over Kate's home in a top flat, where he can spy on her. He also spies on Kate through a skylight on her roof, clambering over the roofscape to reach his vantage point.
Hallam learns that another senior hotel employee (Alasdair) is having an extra-marital affair with Kate. Alasdair then discovers Hallam's lookout in the clock tower. Hallam attempts to blackmail Alasdair with the knowledge of his adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
, but Alasdair dismisses him. Hallam retaliates by finding Alasdair's wife and child and thereby demonstrating the ability, if he wishes, to inform her of the affair, which forces Alasdair to give him back his job.
Hallam eventually works his way up to being a front-of-house porter at the hotel. On his 18th birthday, Kate invites Hallam to have a few drinks
Alcoholic beverage
An alcoholic beverage is a drink containing ethanol, commonly known as alcohol. Alcoholic beverages are divided into three general classes: beers, wines, and spirits. They are legally consumed in most countries, and over 100 countries have laws regulating their production, sale, and consumption...
after work. Whilst drunk, Hallam reveals his continuing love for his late mother. This seems to fascinate Kate, as she "likes creepy guys". A complex relationship starts to build between Hallam and Kate from this point.
Kate first invites him home with her that night, and when she attempts to seduce him, he begins to get uncomfortable and instead they sleep in the same bed. The next day he asks her on a date and she rejects him, but later she asks him to one of the hotel rooms and they have sex.
When Hallam is watching Kate, Alasdair confronts her and begins to act violently. Hallam comes through the skylight to save her, which results in her finding out that he had been spying. She tells Alasdair to leave. She punishes Hallam by making him stand nude and explain to her why he was spying. She feels bad for him after he tells her about his mother and she lets him stay. She puts on the dress that Hallam keeps that used to be his mother's, and when Hallam sees her he cries, and they fall asleep together.
Hallam's father and stepmother track Hallam down at this time because Hallam had reported his suspicions about his mother's death to the police in Edinburgh. They track him down because his father has run up significant debts and needs to develop
Land development
Land development refers to altering the landscape in any number of ways such as:* changing landforms from a natural or semi-natural state for a purpose such as agriculture or housing...
some of the land on the estate, but Hallam is entitled to consultation under his mother's will
Will (law)
A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...
. Hallam refuses to co-operate due to his suspicion of Verity.
Hallam's hatred of Verity consumes him entirely, and he tries to drown her in the loch by his father's house. However, his humanity takes over and he revives her. Only at this point does his father reveal that he had made no attempt to prevent Hallam's mother from committing suicide. This revelation allows Hallam to realise that his anger is in fact with his mother for leaving him. This cathartic moment enables him to move on for the first time and we leave him happy and content walking the streets of Edinburgh.
Cast
- Jamie BellJamie BellAndrew James Matfin "Jamie" Bell is an English actor. He is best known for his roles in the films Billy Elliot , King Kong , Hallam Foe , Jumper , Defiance , The Eagle and The Adventures of Tintin: Secret of the Unicorn .- Early life :Bell was born in Billingham, in the Borough of...
as Hallam Foe - Sophia MylesSophia Myles-Early life:Myles was born in London. She is the daughter of Jane, who works in educational publishing, and Peter Myles, a retired Anglican vicar in Isleworth, west London. Her maternal grandmother was Russian, and she refers to herself as "half-Welsh, half-Russian". She grew up in Notting Hill,...
as Kate Breck - Ciarán HindsCiarán HindsCiarán Hinds is an Irish film, television and stage actor. He has built up a reputation as a versatile character actor appearing in such high profile films as Road to Perdition, The Phantom of the Opera, Munich, There Will Be Blood and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. His television roles include...
as Julius Foe - Jamie SivesJamie Sives-Filmography:-External links:...
as Alasdair - Maurice RoëvesMaurice RoëvesMaurice Roëves is a British actor, born in Sunderland, County Durham on 19 March 1937.His television roles include Danger UXB , The Nightmare Man , the 1984 Doctor Who serial The Caves of Androzani, Days of our Lives , Tutti Frutti , Rab C...
as Raymond - Ewen BremnerEwen Bremner-Early life:Bremner was born in Edinburgh, the son of two art teachers. He attended Davidson's Mains Primary School and Portobello High School. He originally wanted to be a circus clown, but was offered a chance in show business by television director Richard D. Brooks. One of his first notable...
as Andy - Claire ForlaniClaire ForlaniClaire Antonia Forlani is an English actress.-Early life:Claire Forlani was born in Twickenham, London, the daughter of Barbara , who was English, and Pierluigi Forlani, a music manager from Ferrara, Italy. At the age of 11, Forlani entered the Arts Educational School in London, where she began to...
as Verity Foe - John Paul Lawler as Carl
- Ruth Milne as Jenny
- Lucy Holt as Lucy
Soundtrack
Domino Records provided the entire soundtrack with bands including Franz FerdinandFranz Ferdinand (band)
Franz Ferdinand are a Scottish post-punk revival band formed in Glasgow in 2002. The band is composed of Alex Kapranos , Bob Hardy , Nick McCarthy , and Paul Thomson .The band first experienced chart success when their second single, "Take Me Out", reached #3 in...
with their song "Hallam Foe Dandelion Blow" along with songs from James Yorkston
James Yorkston
-Music career:A native of Fife, James Yorkston was an integral early member of the Fence Collective whose reach across contemporary music continues to lengthen: King Creosote, The Aliens, KT Tunstall, The Beta Band...
, u.n.p.o.c.
U.N.P.O.C. (musician)
U.N.P.O.C. is the name under which Tom Bauchop of the Fence Collective records. He has released two albums on Domino Records, Fifth Column and the limited edition Live at King Tut's....
, King Creosote
King Creosote
Kenny Anderson, known primarily by his stage name King Creosote, is an independent singer-songwriter from Fife, Scotland. To date, Anderson has released over forty albums, with his latest, Thrawn, released in 2011. Anderson is also a member of Scottish-Canadian band, The Burns Unit...
, Sons and Daughters
Sons and Daughters (band)
Sons and Daughters are a rock band from Glasgow, Scotland.-Biography:Conceived while on tour with Arab Strap in 2001, Sons and Daughters was initially Adele Bethel's creation...
, Four Tet
Four Tet
Kieran Hebden is a post-rock and electronic musician. Hebden first came to prominence as a member of the band Fridge before establishing himself as a solo artist under the moniker of Four Tet....
, Psapp
Psapp
Psapp is an experimental electronica band. The band, a duo consisting of members Carim Clasmann and Galia Durant, are sometimes credited with inventing a musical style known as toytronica, a form of electronica made with toys and toy instruments...
, Juana Molina
Juana Molina
Juana Molina is a singer-songwriter and an actress.-Biography:Following the 1976 Argentine coup d'état, her mother fled the country and lived in exile in Paris for five years...
and Test Icicles
Test Icicles
Test Icicles were a short-lived dance punk band that formed in England, primarily influenced by indie rock but containing musical elements from a variety of genres . The band was formed in 2004 by Rory Attwell and Sam Mehran, who were later joined by Devonte Hynes...
, amongst others.
David Mackenzie stated at a Questions and Answers session at the GFT preview screening, that he had five songs in mind that he wanted to use in the film, but only one survived in the place he wanted it, that being "Here on My Own" by u.n.p.o.c.
U.N.P.O.C. (musician)
U.N.P.O.C. is the name under which Tom Bauchop of the Fence Collective records. He has released two albums on Domino Records, Fifth Column and the limited edition Live at King Tut's....
.
Title sequence
The animated title sequence is by artist David ShrigleyDavid Shrigley
-Life and career:Shrigley was born in Macclesfield on 17 September 1968, the younger of two children born to Rita and Joseph Shrigley. Shrigley grew up in Oadby, Leicestershire, England...
, who also does all the drawings and writing in Hallam's diaries.
Critical response
The film generally received positive reviews from critics. Review aggregate website Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
gives the film a rating of 72% based on 60 reviews, judging it as "Certified Fresh" with the critical consensus "Carefully balanced between the dark and the dreamy, Mister Foe is a charged coming-of-age story with whimsy and bite."
Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a weighted average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
out of 100 top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 62, based on 18 reviews.
External links
- Hallam Foe blog run by Colin Kennedy, the film's second unit director