“Allelujah” - Film Review, 2023 - My Thoughts 💭

Dir. Richard Eyre

“Allelujah” is based on the play by Alan Bennett and adapted by Heidi Thomas for the screen, yet what a depressing movie this adaptation makes. People thinking this will be a light-hearted British film will be mistaken! I am unsure who the target audience is (nurses or people who work in aged care?) as this deceptively dark British film has a bitter edge that makes the entire project unsettling and rather bleak. This is no inspiring feel-good “Brassed Off” style tale, but rather a straight drama with a few humorous lines. It’s marketed as a comedy in the trailers, but noted as a drama on IMDB. I remember turning around at the end of the movie and seeing an emotional older woman sitting with what might have been her carer - the last ones to leave. Sadly, I don’t think they got the film that was initially sold to them.

“Allelujah” concerns the staff and residents of a geriatric ward in a small Yorkshire hospital. It is recently threatened with closure due to funding issues. Head nurse, Sister Alma Gilpin (Jennifer Saunders) will be shortly honoured in house for her services, while a volunteer film crew also enter the scene to document proceedings and try and save it from closure.

The cast standouts include Judi Dench as Mary in a very slight role (more screen time would have been appreciated as she’s under-utilised) as well as Jennifer Saunders as the overbearing nurse, Alma Gilpin who provides a sound dramatic performance which is both gritty and memorable - from the likes of which I’d not seen from her before. While, David Bradley as the brittle Joe and Russell Tovey as his son Colin (who is gay) also provide fine performances in some of their memorable scenes together in hope of repairing their relationship. Ironically, Colin has also come to assess the state of the hospital as he had recommended its closure.

There are a number of relevant political themes that are touched on to do with human rights and medical funding for hospital wards and aged care, but there’s no buoyancy to the film- no real lightness. I’d seen the play as a part of the NT LIVE program screening in cinemas about four years ago. It was a charming and fun play. The play had more deliberate comedy, a number of catchy and rousing musical numbers (of which the residents are preparing for) and the haunting twist came out of nowhere, but served to heighten the play and deepen the issues explored - whilst still allowing the audience to have a good time. Not so with the film version. I felt locked into this ward, much like its residents, claustrophobic, restless, uncomfortable. If there is one thing that works tangibly about this film it is that it taps into that feeling of waiting to die..surely not something most people want to head to the cinema to experience, least of all our older population. Much of the camaraderie between the residents is cut from the adaption, the songs too become a footnote and are lacklustre and highly edited versions compared to the exuberance of the many musical numbers included in the original play.

At the end of the day, it’s uncertain what viewers are supposed to come away with. While it is a political film of sorts; it certainly doesn’t have all the answers. I appreciate director Richard Eyre’s adaption of a vital topic but the fun in this version is not present making it tricky to recommmend. Even the film’s post-covid coda tries to be hopeful (after what has come before) but like the state of the care provided for our ageing population - it’s just not enough! At the end of the day, this film does have its political assertions, yet the pill needed to go down a little more softly to attract people to this film as well as get their message across.

I’m giving “Allelujah” 3 stars out of 5

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You can also check out my recent review of “Broker” below: