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Watching Is Anybody There?, I couldn’t help humming Pink Floyds’ Is There Anybody Out There? Like the idioms “Pip Pip, Cheerio” and “Stiff Upper Lip,” Is Anybody There? is typically British. And I mean that in a good way.

Christmas parties for kids are usually joyous celebrations filled with presents and wonder, but for ten-year old Edward (Bill Milner) there’s no rejoicing. Instead of baseball bats or something a little more scholarly (a microscope perhaps?), all Edward wants for Christmas is his old room back. And perhaps some quality time with his Mum (Anne-Marie Duff) and his Dad (David Morrissey).

Edwards’ parents have transformed their seaside English residence into a rest home for the elderly. While his mother struggles to run the retirement home, his father struggles with a mid-life crisis. Living amongst the elderly has made Edward forlorn, and has also peaked his interest in the paranormal. Determined to ascertain exactly what transpires when one dies, Edward sneaks into the rooms of the dying armed with a tape recorder. Living in an old-age home has unfortunately given him many opportunities to dabble in his morbid hobby. One day on his way to school, while listening intently to the tape recording of a recently expired resident, Edward is almost run over by a van driven by the new border. Unapologetic and full of bluster, the driver of the van (Michael Caine) admonishes Edward for not paying attention. Edwards’ lonely childhood is about to change drastically with the arrival of Clarence, a retired magician brimming with anger and regret.

You don’t have to be a film critic to know that after their first awkward meeting, they would eventually become best buddies. But that doesn’t detract from the road they take to arrive at that destination. Set in the late 1980’s, Is Anybody There? is the bittersweet story of two people who are at the opposite ends of the spectrum – one who is about to live his life and the other who is close to the end of it.

Written by Peter Harness, Is Anbody There? is an auto-biographical account of his life growing up as a child living in an old people’s home run by his parents. Premiering at the Toronto Film Festival last year, the character–driven story unfolds slowly, but not without grace and whimsy. There’s even a touch of black humor thrown in for good measure. Splendidly directed by John Crowley (Boy A), it could have been maudlin and depressing, but he manages to harmonize the desolation with humor and charm. Besides Caine (who could read the phone book out loud and have me entranced), there are fine performances by veteran British actors Sylvia Syms and Rosemary Harris.

Is Anybody There? reminds me of the famous poem by Dylan Thomas, Do not go Gentle into that Good Night. You may not find any answers for the question asked– Is Anbody There? But you may learn a card trick or two.

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