You’ve got to hand it to Stephanie Beacham that in a 50+ year career there’s little she hasn’t tackled from Hammer horror to glitzy US soap opera to potty mouthed action thrillers (Duchess) but ‘Grey Matter’ is far more down to earth with her playing Peg unwittingly in the early stages of Alzheimers, mother to the always too busy Eileen (Elizabeth Berrington) and grandmother to bolshy teen angst riddled Chloe (Eloise Smyth). Chloe is already the moody teen sixth former, abandoning her swimming team lessons, argumentative to the customers in her part time job that sees her fired and it’s her relationship with her grandmother that gives her new found purpose. Reluctantly installed by her mother as Peg’s unofficial carer she develops a bond with her grandmother just as her grandmother begins to lose herself to the disease.
Deciding to draw up a bucket list of things to do its quickly cut short in one of the best scenes in the film as a distressed Peg in the bathroom realizes the distressing reality of hr worsening condition. It gives Beacham her moment to give full vent to her acting chops. Likewise for Chloe in the latter part of the film where she breaks down knowing that she is irretrievably losing her grandmother to the disease. Both are upsetting scenes well performed by both actors and Smyth deserves wider recognition. Both scenes hit home and a reminder that there are always more than just those who are struck down by the disease who also suffer.
But these are the two best scenes in Grey Matter as what is in between is largely the standard tropes and clichés for a would be disease of the week weepie movie and both actors do well with the material. Chloe’s developing romance with a regular at the support group she attends is largely superfluous as is the role of Chloe’s father who’s reduced to largely awkward Dad dialogue.
related feature : Charlotte Kirk talks fighting, swearing, Stephanie Beacham and a red hot iron in her new film, ‘Duchess’ !
related feature : Old school actioner ‘Renegades’ with a load of old school stars including Stephanie Beacham
We chat with Eloise Smyth and director Arabella Burfitt-Dons about the film and working with Stephanie Beacham…
Here’s the Grey Matter trailer…..
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