Truly Madley Deeply (1990)

The film was written and directed by Anthony Minghella and stars Juliet Stevenson and Alan Rickman. Minghella has said he wrote the script specifically as “a vehicle for [Stevenson] to express all her talents. She plays piano, likes dancing and has a quirky side to her which she usually can't express in the classical parts she is asked for”. The title comes from a word game played by the main characters, in which they challenge each other to by turns repeat and add to a series of adverbs describing the depths of their mutual affection. The working title for the film was 'Cello', a reference not only to the cello within the film, but also to the Italian word 'cielo' for heaven.

Nina, an interpreter, is beside herself with grief at the recent death of her boyfriend, Jamie, a cellist. When it appears that she is on the verge of being no longer able to cope with life, Jamie reappears as a "ghost" and the couple are reconciled – either in Nina's imagination or in an actual reunion: it is up to the viewer to decide. Nina is of course ecstatic, but Jamie's behaviour – turning up the central heating to stifling levels, moving furniture around and inviting back "ghost friends" to watch videos – gradually infuriates her, and their relationship deteriorates. She meets Mark (Michael Maloney), a psychologist, to whom she is attracted, but she is unwilling to become involved with him because of Jamie's continued presence. Nina continues to love Jamie but is conflicted by his self-centred behaviour and ultimately, poignantly, wonders out loud, "Was it always like this?" Over Nina’s objections, Jamie decides to leave to allow her to move on. A common interpretation is that Jamie’s return was to remind Nina that he was not perfect and drive this point so far that she could let go of him. This is supported by the scene at the end of the movie in which Jamie watches Nina leave with Mark and one of his fellow ghosts asks, "Well?", implying a “Did we do it?”, and Jamie responds, "I think so. Yes." Another or additional interpretation is simply that one must move on or die with the loved one, literally or figuratively - the choice is life or death. This interpretation is supported by the lovely "La Muerta" (The Dead Woman, by Pablo Neruda) poem segment that Jamie recites and Nina interprets, line by line, during their climactic discussion of their relationship.



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