My Left Foot (Special Edition)
Christy Brown, author of "My Left Foot," puts all writers to shame. He wrote his autobiography at 22 followed by a number of novels and books of poetry. He painted a museum’s worth of work and had his life adapted into a movie. Brilliant at face value, Brown’s work earns additional acolades for how he created his astounding body of work – Brown wrote and painted it all with his left foot.
“My Left Foot” details Brown’s life dealing with cerebral palsy from his youth in Ireland during the Depression to world renown as a writer and painter. At a young age, Brown discovered, while he could not speak or move his limbs, he had control over his left foot. He taught himself to write, paint and eventually change records using his left foot.
One of the most honest and touching stories of beating-the-odds, “My Left Foot” also features one of films greatest performances. Daniel Day-Lewis’ gut-wrenching portrayal of Brown makes you forget this isn’t a documentary. You forget there’s an actor in the wheelchair and believe Brown is playing himself. Lewis emulated Brown’s crippling cerebral palsy with uncanny accuracy, so much so that he refused to leave character when not filming. He even startled his agent; he refused to come out of character when meeting with his agent on set.
Beyond its indescribably amazing cast, including the phenomenal Brenda Fricker, who also won an Academy Award as Brown’s mother, “My Left Foot”’s unique honesty makes it vital viewing for anyone who cares about film, acting and simply story-telling. Brown’s true achievements are coupled with arrogance and a quick temper. As admirable as Brown is, he has flaws and he struggles with each moment to acclimate to a world where people touch and walk. He fears his loneliness and deals with wanting companionship in unique ways. His pain succeeds in making the film more poignant and memorable. The tearful and emotional moments are not merely heart-warming, they are painful and scary and uplifting and triumphant. This film epitomizes how to inspire someone to succeed.
Amid the armada of rave reviews and awards, the years have forgotten the actor who portrays young Christy Brown. Hugh O’Conor shows himself to be one of the most dedicated, passionate and talented young actors, barely in his teens when playing the role. His career has continued, but sadly has failed to attract attention since his genius performance in “My Left Foot.”
A brilliant movie and valueable on its own, “My Left Foot” choose to offer a hint into the making of such a deep film. Two featurettes headline the limited extras. Both last only ten minutes but are interesting and informative, making one wish the filmmakers revealed more. “The Real Christy Brown” shows pictures and footage of the Christy Brown, interviews with his mother and organizes the events of his life not revealed in the film. “The Making of My Left Foot” offers similarly interesting anecdotes about the difficulty of casting and the road from a small Irish production to an Academy Award winning film. Reviews are also shown, only they are included as text, never fun to read on a television screen. Reviews, especially of historic movies like this, can reveal insight that even the director may have overlooked. One of the best DVD commentaries is Roger Ebert on “Dark City” where even a cult his earns film school treatment, something that should be a standard for films like “My Left Foot.”
The quality of the limited extras only begs the questions – what are they holding back for the special edition.
