Most of us anyway hunger for original films and one of the many positives of Fanny Lye Deliver'd, is that it truly is a movie based on original ideas. Fancy a Puritan western? A folk horror tale? Or just an extremely unusual period piece? Thomas Clay's Fanny might just be more than worthy of your attention. But having said that, I also have to admit I have mixed feelings about it and am disappointed that such a beautifully acted film, which spent 3 years in post production (almost unbelievable for such a clearly low budget production) didn't end up being a better product.
There is a lot to admire here, The film looks amazing: the costumes and production design are striking and the subdued colours, often viewed through mist, make many shots look almost like paintings. The small cast is excellent, especially Charles Dance, who gives his stern character some humanity, and Maxine Peak, who, as the titular character, gradually discovers there are other ways to live and is tempted by the possibilities. The occasional anachronistic-sounding piece of dialogue aside, there's a strong period feeling.
The narrative itself is compellingly interesting, especially for those with a genuine interest in the time of the singular English republic. The pace varies for sure, but the storyline could never be accused of being predictable. And the major characters of the admittedly, deliberately small cast are all engaging in their own ways.
So, the letdowns? Clay's score, added in the above - stated post production phase of course, is varied in its themes and instrumentation but does seem to be lathered on way too much and overall ends up feeling rather awkward. At times it seems as though the music is simply playing in the background with little or no relation to what's happening on screen. And the inclusion of an arrangement of the Ode to Joy from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony more than 150 years before the composer wrote it was another jarring anachronism, too familiar to be fully effective.
On top of this, the film builds to a climactic action set piece, which is filmed in virtual darkness. For about a minute and a half, we can't really see what's going on, only hear a multitude of sounds. It might make for a good radio play, but it doesn't make for good cinema. The light of day reveals what has occurred, but the feeling that much dramatic heft, has been expunged from our viewing, cannot be easily passed off. Again, I have to ask, why was this allowed to occur in a film so long in post production and editing? Surely it could have been remedied in some way. It also would appear that this scene, which really defines the "Deliver'd" aspect of the film's title should have appeared somewhat earlier in the film in order that we can discover how well Fanny Lye has been delivered of her previous life.
In concluding, FLD will undoubtedly please many punters looking for movies with original riffs. However it only achieves qualified success, due to some wayward directorial decisions, from its albeit, very creative writer - director.
