Tom Courtenay needs little change in his voice or bearing to make a familiar man difficult to read. His restraint gives 45 Years much of its pain, and we rate that quiet precision highly.
Fi1m perspective
In 45 Years (2015), Tom Courtenay lets a conversation become dangerous without making Geoff Mercer seem like a different man. There is no conspicuous change of manner to announce that we should watch him differently. He keeps enough of Geoff's appeal for us to understand why Kate has shared a life with him. We found that familiarity painful, because the man she knows remains recognisable even as her understanding of him begins to fail.
He emerged in the British New Wave with leading roles in The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) and Billy Liar (1963). From the mid-1960s through the 1970s, his work was primarily on stage. The Dresser (1983) brought him back to a prominent film role, reprising his stage part as Norman. The panache and feeling of that performance are worth remembering alongside the quieter acting: an account of Courtenay that makes him sound permanently subdued would be a poor guide to his work.
His posture, quiet intonation and expressive eyes can convey strength without a large gesture. In 45 Years, his economy also gives Charlotte Rampling something substantial to work against. Geoff cannot be reduced to a husband being exposed, and Kate's unease cannot simply be dismissed as jealousy. Their long familiarity feels credible because neither performer needs to abandon an established manner when a conversation grows difficult. That makes room for us to take both people seriously, rather than choosing which of them deserves our sympathy.
Andrew Haigh gets fine work from both actors by trusting those small reactions for much of 45 Years. The writing eventually explains more than we need, a flaw made more noticeable by how clearly Courtenay and Rampling have let us understand the marriage. Start here, but do not expect the quiet acting to make it a comfortable evening.
Biography
Sir Tom Courtenay is an English actor. Born Thomas Daniel Courtenay on 25 February 1937 in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. He rose to prominence in the early 1960s with film roles including The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), Billy Liar (1963) and Doctor Zhivago (1965).
Courtenay has worked extensively in theatre since the mid-1960s. He received a knighthood in 2001 for services to cinema and theatre. He is known for later film roles including The Dresser (1983) and Geoff Mercer in 45 Years (2015). He is president of Hull City A.F.C.'s Official Supporters' Club and received an honorary doctorate from Hull University in 1999.
