“He” as He will be known, never got over “She.” Despite his passion for her, another man whisked her off her feet and stole her away. To add further insult, his rival has since become a world renown man of letters, while he labors in a lowly publishing job (aren’t they all?). At his invitation, She popped over from Paris for the express purpose of having lunch with him at their old Soho haunt. Yet, even though She is visiting from another country, He will be carrying all the baggage.
The man’s narration is sophisticated in a self-consciously erudite way, much as we might assume his poetry to be. He can turn a clever phrase and has a knack for expressing uncomfortably real sentiments, sparing himself least of all. Yet, a little of his resentful ruminations will go a long way. Fortunately, lunch is short meal, clocking in at just under an hour.
Though many viewers might be more than ready for the check when it comes, Masterpiece Contemporary deserves credit for stretching their format. It is not often one sees a film as literate and introspective as Song in theaters, let alone on broadcast television. It is also perfectly cast. Alan Rickman’s rich, warm voice caresses Reid’s poetry, while his flinty edge well serves the character’s lingering bitterness. As She, Emma Thompson is smart and tough, looking the part of an attractive woman of middlish age that a failed poet might continue carrying a torch for.
