The Song of Names (2020)

Often "literature" has a staged feel. The mystery here, one man seeking the "brother" who disappeared decades before follows coincidence and minor lead until he tracks him down in a completely unbelievable series of events. However little of that matters because that's not the important part of The Song of Names. That might be the hook on which this story is sold, but the real magic here is something else.

When Clive Owen's character steps on to the stage at the end to play the title song the film has brought us on a remarkable journey. Not the search for the missing man, but the search for connection that each character has sought, the search for meaning and identity, the search for the lost souls. The song is one of sheer beauty, Howard Shore has done some wonderful work here, but it is more than that. It is the story that got us there that adds to the power of the song.

Girard has returned to the heights of some of his other musical films. He shoots each frame of The Song of Names with a loving, lush tone. The film is about how we love, especially what we've lost, and Girard has found a truly lovely way to capture that. Even if his story is a bit loaded on the corny side. But he, along with his cast, especially Roth who plays his character with restraint and power, overcome the shortcomings to make their story just lovely.

The Song of Names
Starring: Tim Roth, Clive Owen, Catherine McCormack, Saul Rubinek, Eddie Izzard
Director: Francois Girard
Writer: Jeffrey Caine