EMMA THOMPSON as Miss Keaton in REMAINS OF THE DAY

EMMA THOMPSON

EMMA THOMPSON as Miss Kenton in THE REMAINS OF THE DAY

Another one people are going to say I took from PREMIERE - 'Not true, Not true' I cried! Ah, whatever... I went back and forth for days on this one as well because I loved HOWARD'S END and her performance in it. But settled on the one that I thought felt the most enlightened quality and had the most humor to it. I tell students all the time "Find the humor in your character, even if you're playing Hamlet...find their sense of humor." Comedy makes Tragedy compelling. And I think Emma Thompson was stuck by this reality at her viewing HOWARD'S END, It's fabulous but straight forward and dry and not much humor in her first Merchent / Ivory pic. Traces of wit but only dabs. She has such 'fullness' to her Miss Keaton - another word I hate - 'fullness'. But it's true she just seems so relaxed and not acting at all this movie. There might have been lots of reasons for her ease; I suspect that her edge of confidence level was raised a bit since starting this work after winning so many (much deserved) awards from HOWARD'S END. Without question, she can play that English corset drama, but there’s a free ease quality to this performance that just isn’t there in HOWARD'S END. Trust me, I watched both of them, back to back, sometimes, for days on in. I'm a sick puppy. There's a less seriousness and even though in the middle of utter dome – like the scene with Anthony Hopkins where scene confesses she’s a “coward”. She’s able to add a hint of self-effacing humor. Both performances are very smart and both layered, and textured - aiding in driving the story to a stronger resolve with much more suspense along the way. Will they get together?

Both richly deserving of awards and attention. I felt stronger and sympathized with Miss Kenton deeper than her other roles. I wanted her to achieve her objective more. Probably cause the script supported her longing but I felt Emma Thompson was especially grounded this film and gave it heart and put in it more details. Anthony Hopkins had to ignore and pledged his allegiance to his master and all Miss Kenton… wanted…was simple a kiss. Love. It's so simple. But getting that kiss and love proved very difficult. Howard’s End is one of my favorite films but her performance in it is very straight forward. Straight forward at it's most brilliant, driven and especially committed where she tells her new beloved "why can't you see what's she has done - you have done!", but it doesn’t have the 'fullness', (there I go again), of wit and irony and various self effacing humorous moments that make it a 'Signature' piece of acting. Deserved the Academy Award for HOWARD'S END but deserved one for this one as well, a heavier OSCAR.

The most rewarding scene in the film for me is the scene where Miss Kenton is clearly attracted to the butler, Anthony Hopkins, but he is terrified of intimacy, and sidesteps it through a fanatic devotion to his work. The most painful, and brilliant, shows Miss Kenton surprising Stevens in his room, reading a book. "What book?", she asks. He hides the cover. She pursues him, cornering him, snatching the book away to find it is a best-selling romance.

She had not imagined he read romances! He only reads, he stiffly explains, to improve his vocabulary.

Thompson gives the moment real heat; Stevens feels excited but emasculated and cornered. His wounded dignity drives her away. Rejected – but he clearly adores her too – but can’t. They just miss each other.

She had to pursue a man who barely gave an once of anything in return. She just sensed and felt he did. But nothing came out, just that hidden deep formidable reserve. She had to move around him and catch him off guard and do the thing women hate to do – put themselves out there in front of the man vulnerable and open – especially back then in the 1930’s, and especially working as the head maid. She had a lot of maneuvering to do and Emma glides onto the scene. Uplifting the quality in the atmosphere. We all wanted to kiss her. She was beautiful, always ready, funny, tough and had her strong beliefs about the girls who were Jewish that worked under her that she later had to send away and then admits, “I’m a coward, I have no where else to go, there you have it…” Wow. So present. She fits right into the playing of Miss Keaton’s social status. She’s the head housekeeper. Not at the bottom of the pile but at the top of the bottom. I thought perhaps with all of her accolades for Howard’s End that it might throw off her status in this role. But Emma Thompson is a gifted actress and (as we know) a brilliant writer and producer and probably a damn fine director in there too. She understands the ins and outs of a script and precisely what is needed. She never pulls focus from any of her ensemble players. But when our eyes go to her – she is ready and quiet literally lights up the screen. Not only does Emma have “It” but she understands “It’ as well. My only problem with this performance and it’s a small one is the poor make-up job at the end. It was and is a distraction, nothing wrong with her performance – but it bugged me and continues to bug me – I thought I’d get it out of my system.

They are a compelling duo, Hopkins and Thompson. You think that right after the played opposite each other in Howard’s End that the director and producer would want to find other actors to take on these roles. But they wanted the best…they got it. It’s both their best work in film.