Morvern Callar (film)

Synopsis

Morvern Callar (Samantha Morton) is a young woman in a small port town in Scotland. She wakes on Christmas morning to discover that her boyfriend has killed himself, leaving a suicide note, mix tape and the manuscript of his unpublished novel behind. His novel is dedicated to her and she decides to erase his name and puts her own name on the novel and sends it to the publisher recommended by her boyfriend. Instead of arranging a funeral with the money on his account, as requested by him, she cuts his body up and buries it in the mountains. With the money she then escapes her work stacking fruit in the groceries section of the local supermarket and goes to Almería, Costa del Sol, with her best friend Lanna (Kathleen McDermott). As they go out and party she feels she's in a different mood to Lanna and leaves her, so she can meet the publishers who have come to meet her in Spain. She plays the role of a writer and receives an advance on the novel for £100,000. Back in Scotland she tries to convince Lanna to come with her to the big world, but in Spain Lanna has met a guy from Leeds who plans to visit her in Scotland. Morvern collects her suitcase and goes to the railway station.

Cast

Critical reception

Morvern Callar received positive reviews from critics. It has a 78/100 on Metacritic and an 84% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with the former's critical consensus stated as, "Morton quietly makes this quirky, enigmatic mood piece a compelling watch." Morton won the 2002 British Independent Film Award for Best Actress for her role as Morvern. The movie also received the 2002 Scottish BAFTA Award for Best Actress (Kathleen McDermott), the 2002 C.I.C.A.E. Award and the Award Of The Youth at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.

Soundtrack

1. Can - "I Want More"
2. Aphex Twin - "Goon Gumpas"
3. Boards Of Canada - "Everything You Do Is A Balloon"
4. Can - "Spoon"
5. Stereolab - "Blue Milk" (Edit)
6. The Velvet Underground - "I'm Sticking With You"
7. Broadcast - "You Can Fall"
8. Gamelan - "Drumming"
9. Holger Czukay - "Cool In The Pool"
10. Lee "Scratch" Perry - "Hold Of Death"
11. Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood - "Some Velvet Morning"
12. Ween - "Japanese Cowboy"
13. Holger Czukay - "Fragrance"
14. Aphex Twin - "Nannou"
15. Taraf de Haïdouks - "Cînd eram la '48"