Shooting the Past
Photographs That Unlock The Past...To Fight For The Future.
As the representative of a US corporation, Christopher Anderson is developing a country house on the outskirts of London into a business school for the 21st century, which would be fine if it were not the home of a unique photographic collection cared for by a small but determined staff.
Member Reviews
Visually entertaining - movie_goer
"Shooting the Past is extrodinary and unique."
An absolutely beautifully put together series, Timothy Spall stirs the pot with Chaos and mystery. The creeping climatic ending is unpredictable, unsuspectingly and utterly heartbreaking. The Photographs alone are worth the investment, their history surrounding them mesmerise your curiosity.Couldn't stop watching - mistiblu
Working my way through BBC's library, I came across this gem.
At first, I wasn't sure I liked it but I simply couldn't turn it off. The acting is superb and the plot draws you in. You simply have to keep watching to find out what is going to happen.
You hate the crass American, feel for the curator and marvel at the almost savant quality of Spall as the assistant.
Take a break from the blockbusters and give this one a watch.Absorbing Drama Richly Told - CharleyJames
Ostensibly the story of a tug-of-war between old and new, England and America, Shooting the Past centers on the Fallon Photo Library, one of those musty-dusty, obscure Brit piles housing great treasures. There are no computers and a cook prepares multicourse lunches for the staff.
The library is run by the capable but largely naïve Marilyn Truman (Lindsay Duncan). But the real heart of the place is Oswald Bates (Timothy Spall), an exceptionally eccentric and combative but brilliant archivist. The meek Veronica (Billie Whitelaw), adventurous Spig (Emilia Fox) and taciturn Nick (Blake Ritson) round out the cast.
Into this arcane world steps Christopher Anderson (Liam Cunningham), who bought the property intending to convert it into a business school. As for the picture collection, well, no need for it anymore.
But Anderson is unprepared for the staff's unbending will and he is slowly moved by their plight to find a new home for the photos. This slim plotline, however, is really a cover for Shooting the Past's real purpose: Examining photography's mysterious hold on our imagination, its penchant for possibilities.
In two extraordinary sequences, Marilyn attempts to convince Christopher of the medium's unique storytelling abilities. And it is here that Shooting the Past becomes a must-see. In the first tale, the plight of a Berlin-born Jewish girl is chronicled with surprising results; in the second, Christopher's own grandmother is the protagonist.
Duncan is good as Marilyn but it's Spall who dominates the action. By turns antagonist and hero, Oswald is the most complex character. The rest of the cast does fine in relatively dry and flat roles, save Cunningham who offers a lame American accent and stiff gestures.
But the many photographs, all borrowed from the Hulton Getty Collection, will garner the most interest.
Member Reviews
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Visually entertaining - movie_goer
"Shooting the Past is extrodinary and unique."
An absolutely beautifully put together series, Timothy Spall stirs the pot with Chaos and mystery. The creeping climatic ending is unpredictable, unsuspectingly and utterly heartbreaking. The Photographs ...Couldn't stop watching - mistiblu
Working my way through BBC's library, I came across this gem.
At first, I wasn't sure I liked it but I simply couldn't turn it off. The acting is superb and the plot draws you in. You simply have to keep watching to find out what is going to happen. ...Absorbing Drama Richly Told - CharleyJames
Ostensibly the story of a tug-of-war between old and new, England and America, Shooting the Past centers on the Fallon Photo Library, one of those musty-dusty, obscure Brit piles housing great treasures. There are no computers and a cook prepares multicourse ...