This Week’s Recommendation: Truman

12 Feb 2021
Online

Title: Truman

Spain, 2015

108 mins, language Spanish

Directed by Cesc Gay 

Truman was 804th film screened by RFS on 30th April 2019. It was one of  four equal top ranked films of Season 56, with an audience rating of 95%.

Julien has terminal cancer. His oldest friend Tomas flies halfway round the world to be there for him, to tie up loose ends, including finding a home for Truman, a rather morose, elderly Bull Mastiff.

Can you have a satisfactory film about death and dying ? It’s a tricky one; more often than not it’s too sentimental, maudlin or painfully philosophical...but Truman succeeds , with the great rapport between Julian and Tomas and, as the viewer, you’re drawn into the matter of fact and yet moving dialogue with humour - for example Julian asks if all his ashes will fit in a tiny urn and and above all we share his overriding concern...to find a loving home for quite the saddest looking dog in screen history. 

It may sound paradoxical but, if done right, films about a life ending can be the most life affirming films you’ll see....and Truman - a great success in its native Spain - is most certainly done right.

Full film notes available in the Twickenham & Richmond Tribune - http://twickenhamtribune.com

The film can be streamed from Amazon Prime and discs are available from Amazon and other retailers.

 

Presented by Richmond Film Society

Arts Richmond events

All Arts Richmond events >