OnWednesday 7 March, the British film The Day I Return was released in our cinemas. James Marsh (A Wonderful History of Time) once again carries out the hard task of adapting a real fact to the cinema. If the film may lack a little originality, it is nevertheless successful.
A simple but effective staging
Inspired by a true story, The Day I Return tells the story of Donald Crowhurst, a businessman on the verge of bankruptcy, passionate about sailing. The latter, although he had no experience, decided to embark on a solo and non-stop race around the world. He hopes to win a Golden Globe Challenge award and accomplish something everyone will remember. But not being properly prepared, he will find himself alone in the middle of the sea facing many problems, far from his family that he loves so much. This news item has already been told in books such as Isabelle Autissier's novel in 2009, Only the sea will remember it and has also been represented many times on the screen. This is the difficulty for James Marsh: to stand out from other films so as not to be redundant but to remain faithful to the story. This obstacle will be successfully overcome by the director, despite the fact that we can note a somewhat slow pace for some scenes.
For the anecdote, the French actor Jacques Perrin, who played the role of Crowhurst in the 1982 film Les Quarantièmes roarissants, is co-producer of the film Le Jour de mon retour.
We can salute the choice of music for the film and the musician-composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (unfortunately deceased recently). The songs stick perfectly to the drama and reinforce the emotions that this biopic provides. It is then easier to put yourself in the shoes of the sad hero of this story. The choice of repeated close-ups on the faces of the characters emphasizes their expressions and thus plunges the viewer closer to the action. The setting is very meticulous and is faithful to reality with a replica of the trimaran, the Teignmouth electron, and sailing scenes shot in Teignmouth, Donald Crowhurst's hometown.
Excellent acting
Colin Firth perfectly embodies this loving family man, who will gradually sink into madness. It is divided between honesty and lies, reason and delirium, love and pride. Firth succeeds in the challenge of showing the audience all the emotions through which his character passes, even during the long moments without dialogue. He shares the bill with Rachel Weisz who is assigned the role of Clare Crowhurst, the devoted wife and love. She perfectly plays this role of a strong woman who knows how to face all situations, even the most difficult.
Mr.Crowhurst, Rodney Hallworth, is represented by David Thewlis and we can only salute this good choice of cast. He is accompanied by his faithful assistant, Wheeler, having much more morals than him and it is a sincere Jonathan Bailey who finds himself in the skin of this character forced to obey the authoritarian press officer. Mr. Crowhurst's banker, Stanley Best, is correctly played by Ken Stott.
We can also applaud the great play of young actors Kit Connor, Eleanor Stagg and Finn Elliot who perfectly embody the children of Donald Crowhurst. So the cast works very well for this dramatic film and is completely legitimate.
A denunciation of the (over)mediatization and power of money
The press officer shows, a little exaggeratedly, the vicious side of some journalists ready to do anything to sell as many papers as possible. In addition to his loneliness, the lack of his family and the lack of preparation for this adventure full of problems, Donald Crowhurst is added the constant pressure of the media and consequently, of his press secretary. Public opinion will be an omnipresent concern for the hero of the film. This will push him to do things he never wanted to have to do. Once caught in this infernal spiral, it is difficult to get out of it… He then finds himself in the uncomfortable position of the victim-accomplice.
Money occupies a central place in the film. He is one of the elements that pushes Donald to go on an adventure, but it is therefore what will lead him to decay. His banker, Stanley Best, absolutely does not want to lose the money he lent him, even at the expense of Donald's life. This film insists on the importance of money in society and especially on that of public opinion.
James Marsh succeeds in appropriating the tragic story of a dreamy amateur with a sad fate. A movie to watch at least once!
