Longford (2006) is an excellent film. It is British in every aspect—writing, direction, acting, setting, and the events it is based on. This pedigree makes it more remote for us than the typical Hollywood fare and, in my view, it is far superior.
Londoner Peter Morgan supplied a superb screenplay. In a field where writers typically have one or maybe two successful screenplays in a career, Morgan has, at 45, penned The Last King of Scotland, which won the BAFTA award, The Queen, which got him nominated for an Oscar, and Longford, for which he received the BAFTA writers award for TV. In Longford, things could have easily degenerated into sensationalism as the story concerns the gruesome murder of five children and how Lord Longford campaigned for the parole of Myra Hindley, the wife involved in the slayings. Yet the conversations seem real and natural, fitting easily with the documentary footage.
Much of the credit for the natural pace and the profound acting must go to director Tom Hooper. We know this 36-year old Londoner as the guy who won the Emmy directing award for Elizabeth I starring Helen Mirren. When someone of Mirren’s stature likes and promotes your work, you’ve probably got some talent. On the basis of his early work, Mirren convinced him to do an episode of her classic crime series, Prime Suspect, and from there encouraged him to direct Elizabeth I, starring her, Jeremy Irons, and Hugh Dancy—one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.
The acting is powerful. Jim Broadbent, one of the best actors on the planet, shows every wrenching disappointment in Lord Longford’s struggle to help a twisted woman who captivates him and lies to him. Samantha Morton, who first amazed me in Sweet and Lowdown, plays the Moors Murderer with such complexity that you’re never sure what is true. But shortly after Longford begins visiting her in jail, you know see will betray his trust. This makes the movie queasy viewing. But it is not that simple, not a simple downward spiral. She may betray him, but his real work is not to be her friend or to free her from jail but to grow spiritually. He starts out by proclaiming that even serial killers can change, a position his strong Roman Catholic beliefs make relatively easy, even though the position is uncommon, misunderstood, and disastrous for his reputation. But when Myra betrays his trust, discards him, and hurts him deeply, he struggles to grow to where he can forgive.