H IS FOR HAWK – Review by Loren King
Much like The Chronology of Water and Hamnet, two other films this year adapted from meticulously crafted literary works, transferring British writer Helen Macdonald’s exquisite memoir H is for Hawk proves a daunting task. That doesn’t mean the film lacks its own power; it’s a tall order to translate to the screen what’s delicately layered on the page. But what the film has is Claire Foy, as a version of Macdonald, a prickly nature-lover and academic who, in the wilds of grief over the sudden death of her beloved father, photojournalist Alisdair Macdonald (Brendan Gleeson), adopts and trains a goshawk she names Mabel.
Director Philippa Lowthorpe, working from a script by novelist and Room screenwriter Emma Donoghue, does not resort to cliches about how an animal, even a wild one, can offer a human purpose, solace and redemption. Helen is portrayed as hard and brittle at once, even as she descends into increasingly feral behavior that mirrors the hawk’s. Mabel is a dangerous predator who must feed on birds and animals and whose icy stare is actually scary. An emotional support pet she is not.
The film manages to turn Helen’s questionable coping choices into compelling drama, aided by a cast of fascinating characters played by gifted actors. Besides Gleeson, there’s Lindsay Duncan as Helen’s caring, cautious mother; and Denise Gough as her best friend who offers both tough and unconditional love. But it’s Foy, who had to learn falconry since her handling and intimate interactions with Mabel clearly could not be faked, who both grounds this gritty and nuanced film and allows it to soar.
