“H Is for Hawk” film Soars โคas a Moving Portraitโฃ of Grief,Even Without the Book’s Poetry
Byโข Emma Walker,World-Today-News.com – November 16, 2023
The โขexperiance of grief is โa deeply personalโข one, โfrequently enough leaving us searching for the right wordsโ – or finding solace in unexpected places. For many, includingโข myself, Helen โฃMacdonald‘s memoir,โ “H Is for Hawk,”โฃ offered precisely that comfort. Now, that poignant story has been adapted for the screen, starring Claire โFoy, and while it โmay not fully capture the โlyrical beauty of theโ source material,โ the film โฃdelivers a moving andโ resonant โคexplorationโ of loss and the unconventional path to healing.
“Looking for goshawks is like โlooking for grace: it comes, but not often, โคand โyou don’t get to say โwhen or how,” Macdonald โฃwrites.โ Her memoir, โคborn from the death of her photographer father,โข Alisdair “Ali Mac” MacDonald, details her remarkable decision to train โa goshawk as aโค means of โprocessing her grief. The book is a captivating blend of falconry, literary reflection (notably on T.H. White’s “The Goshawk“),and a raw,internal journey.
The film, directed by Philippa Lowthorpe, understandably shiftsโ the focus. While it retains the core narrative – aโ young woman โgrappling with loss through the demanding art of falconry – it leans more heavily into a conventional biographical portrait, showcasing Foy’s โฃcompelling performance as a headstrong,โค often prickly, โMacdonald. The stunning visuals of Foy interacting with her goshawk, Mabel, areโ a significantโข gain over the book’s purelyโข textual experience. Though, as the review notes, the film sometimes sacrifices the original’s philosophical depth โfor a more straightforward depiction of a woman and โคher remarkable companion (a term Macdonald herself might resist).
Interestingly, โขat its premiere at theโข Telluride Film Festival, the reviewer found that few attendees had actually read the book. This highlights a crucial point: the film stands onโฃ its own merits. It’s aโค powerful account ofโ an eccentric pursuit undertaken in response to profound sorrow. Brendanโค Gleeson delivers a particularly touching performance as Ali Mac,โ portrayed as a supportive and understanding father whose absence is keenly felt. Flashbacks reveal his artistic curiosity and the โคdeep bondโค he shared โคwith his daughter, making his loss all the more devastating.the film also beautifully illustrates the subtleโค ways โคgrief can reshape a life. Macdonald’s academic career falters, her future uncertain, but she โfinds unexpected support in her friend Christina (Denise Gough). โ The narrative subtly suggests that loss,โค while painful,โข can alsoโ be liberatingโ -โค a chance to “fly in ways you wouldn’t have dared” when a loved oneโฃ was still present.
Ultimately, โ”H Is for Hawk” is a sensitive and affectingโข film โthat offers a unique viewpoint on grief, resilience, and the surprising connections โwe forge in the face of loss. While fans โof โthe book may missโข Macdonald’s distinctive prose,the โขfilm provides a compelling and visually arresting experience thatโ resonates long after the credits roll.