Talk of Angels

When Irish nanny Mary Lavelle (Walker) decides to embark on a voyage of self-discovery, she leaves her home for a job as governess in a ritzy Spanish villa where she immediately becomes embroiled in hotheaded politics and, of course, hot-blooded passion. Although she has a fiance waiting back home, she falls into mutual infatuation with her employer’s son, Francisco (Perez). Unfortunately for everyone, Francisco has a wife, and the stage is set for a naive foreigner to bring wanton desire into a Roman Catholic household.

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Girls on Film:
"It is not the patriarch, old and past his prime, who falls for the young outsider, but the hunky oldest son of the family, Francisco (Perez). Here, the sparks that fly between Mary and Francisco seem believable. He is handsome and gentle, and his humanism stands in direct opposition to his family's support of Franco."

Hollywood Reporter:
"An exotic locale, political intrigue and illicit love... Romantic leads Walker and Perez certainly make a photogenic pair."

Apollo Guide:
"Talk of Angels is a lovely movie. The themes of inner conflict and growth juxtaposed against a country at war with itself draw the viewer in and hold you until its satisfying conclusion. Well acted and richly scripted, Talk of Angels provides many fascinating characters."

Critic Mike Strocko:
"O'Brien's great passion for Spain in a strained period of its history lives on in the richly-textured period elements of the film... The film brings viewers the Areavaga house's threatened aristocratic elegance, the northern coast's verdant hills and Spain's timeless stone architecture."

Sunday Times (New Zealand):
"Talk of Angels is handsome and elegantly acted... a beautifully made film... It plays as if it had been made 40 years ago, but if you fancy a rich, old-fashioned melodramatic romance, this is the movie for you."

New York Now:
"A romantic, intelligent Jane Eyre-like story...This time, our Jane falls for her Rochester's strapping
older son. And why not? He's played by Vincent Perez. Maybe she's seen him in Queen Margot and knows what to look forward to... British theater and TV director Nick Hamm makes a worthy feature debut, backed by a solid cast. In addition to Walker and Perez - their different accents mixing charmingly - there is an
outstanding bit by the ever-reliable Frances McDormand."

University Wire:
"Talk of Angels has a superb cast of international stars who effectively portray the controversy and chaos of a family deeply rooted into the fabric of Spain's social and political elite. The film also boasts exceptional cinematography displaying Spain's beauty - its remarkable landscapes and the splendor of its urban marketplaces and cafes."

Box Office Magazine:
"Lovingly adapted by Ann Guedes and Frank McGuinness from Kate O'Brien's novel Mary Lavelle and ably directed by veteran West End stage director Nick Hamm, Talk of Angels is an undeniably beautiful and often seductive tale of colliding cultural sensibilities and ferocious passions, all set to the backdrop of an impending Spanish Civil War."

Critic Chris Chang:
"Lush-looking, loaded with charm... The director does an admirable job evoking the Iberian aura - you can truly feel an otherworldliness in the pulsating emotions."

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Although this film was released in 1998, it was actually completed in 1995. Miramax hoped it would enjoy the same success of its production, The English Patient, but many critics did not respond favorably to it.

When Talk of Angels, written by Irish novelist and playwright Kate O'Brien, was published in 1936, the Irish government deemed it immoral and banned it because it contained a sympathetic lesbian character and an adulterous romance. O'Brien's purpose was not to shock but to explore, in the lives of a few individuals, the always perilous intersection of passion and convention. The following year the author herself was banned from her beloved Spain by the Franco regime.

CAST

Polly Walker..........................Mary Lavelle Vincent Perez............Francisco Areavaga Franco Nero............Dr. Vicente Areavaga Frances McDormand.....................Conlon Marisa Paredes.................Dona Consuelo Penelope Cruz......................................Pilar Ruth McCabe.................................O'Toole Ariadna Gil......................................Beatrice

CREDITS

Directed by................................Nick Hamm Screenplay by.................Ann Guedes and Frank McGuinness
Based on the book Mary Lavelle by Kate O'Brien
Cinematography by.....Aleksei Rodionov Music by................................Trevor Jones
Filmed in Spain.

Premiered in US on October 30, 1998

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