Goodbye Mr. Christie

The film part of Phil Mulloy’s Christie Family trilogy, Goodbye Mr. Christie, gets its UK premiere at the Manipulate Visual Theatre Festival. Focusing on existential, unrequited love, hidden violence and religion in the seemingly peaceful English countryside, this new feature film brings together the brutal elements of humanity in a seemingly odd and very dark premise.

When Mr Christie is caught having sex with a French sailor by a camera crew which subsequently broadcasts the encounter to the entire world, he is unmasked as an arrogant and uncaring man, and so becomes a worldwide sensation. But his quest for anonymity and an escape from his circumstances soon leads to a number of unexpected and unnerving situations that threaten his very existence.

Mulloy, who was once famously described by a commentator as the “bowels” of animation, compared to Disney’s much more regal standing as the “heart of animation”, creates work that depicts the much darker, absurd and altogether uncomfortable side of life.

But while his comparison to the less glamorous organs of the human body may appear to be an insult, what it means is that Mulloy’s work, while somewhat concerned with the unseen parts of humanity, has a vital place in modern animation. His tale of a selfish, cruel and volatile man facing issues of infidelity, worldwide notoriety and finally of faith and existence, brings a host of misunderstood and seldom-talked about subjects to the surface of the murky puddle of human existence.

While not particularly easy viewing at points, with violent scenes of murder, rape, abuse and moments of sheer insanity, Goodbye Mr. Christie has elements of Brecht, as well as those of verfremdung - such as imperfect animation and computerised voices. Both constantly remind the viewer that they’re watching a movie, and while some parts of the film may seem far-fetched, others, such as the rape and murder scenes, remain very real and stay in the viewer’s consciousness. Darkly comic, challenging and at times grotesque, Goodbye Mr. Christie is a film that needs to be seen in order to be fully understood and appreciated.