Shirley Valentine – movie critique.
Shirley Valentine, the 1989 film adaptation of the play by Willy Russell shows the story of a middle-aged Liverpool housewife, who finally breaks out of her shell and decides she prefers living in Greece to being stock in monotony of her house in England. After her children have left home, her only purpose in life is preparing dinner ready in time for her grumbling husband. Shirley (Pauline Collins) feels so lonely, dissatisfied, and unfulfilled that she addresses kitchen walls as she confesses her troubles. Her husband Joe (Bernard Hill) has long ceased to love her and is extremely irritated when she fails to serve Thursday’s stake (gives eggs ‘n’ chips instead). She “got lost in this unused life”, but she overcomes a phenomenal rebirth while on a two weeks holiday in Greece. Shirley, the timid housewife and mother emerges as the woman of her youth – daring, exciting, and cherishing the life itself.
Shirley is the protagonist, the central character of the film; she constantly draws attention of viewers as well as of all other characters. There is so much known about her that it is easy to believe she is authentic and true to life. Shirley, as a round character, is characterized by individuality and unpredictability. She resolutely protests when a group of tourists complains and jokes about Greeks. She makes a brilliant ironic remark when her husband demands his six o’clock tea: “Well, just think how exciting it’d be, if for once, you had it at a quarter past six? It’d make the headlines. “World Exclusive”. “Joe Eats Late”. It is also problematic to predict what her decision is going to be like. For instance, her trip to Greece is not a quick “yes” or “no”; she hesitates to go, but on the other hand she would love to make her dream about traveling come true. We do not know if we will see her sun bathing on the Greek beach until she gets on the plane and leaves all objections behind her. On the contrary, some characters are flat, very simple and one-dimensional. Conti, Shirley’s lover, is a comic cliché, acting out every dumb macho Greek stereotype and appears far less authentic than she is. He is poetic, gentle, tender and passionate, and he has a big black moustache, and of course he is not faithful. Other peripheral characters, like Gillian (a neighbor) with the vegetarian dog and Jane (a friend) convinced that “all men are potential rapists, even the pope”, help to put Shirley’s story together and make it smooth and alive.
