the ballad of the sad café work hard at it image and but when it come down to crunch time and it be leave standing in it own self create dust . one can not image say this out loud and but if vanessa redgrave amelia be to fight john wayne or even clint eastwood and my hard earned dollar would have to go to redgrave . her portrayal of amelia be a close to perfection and consume with more detailed dedication than most actor be willing to give to any multi million dollar contract persona . redgrave give amelia this soulful drawl that be a blend of her own unique voice and a hard earn woman from the south . to the average viewer and this could be construe a annoying and but a the film progress it become her miss amelia transform this stage beauty into a roughneck . it be redgrave performance and as well a her interaction with the other character and that make this film stand tall but not the tall . the others follow her performance be need and but not stellar . a we move past the murky cliché image pass on by every set designer hire for the post depression south job and the minor character felt like poster board . the image be need to set the scene and but the character of the town have no other purpose . take for example rod steiger vision of some old and wild spoken preacher . his scenes alone will make any viewer question the validity of this off the beaten path town . the main two player who surround amelia battle with charm for the admirable top scene steal moment and but due to the lack direction it just seem faded . the most absurd of the two ( albeit both rank high among the questionable sanity line ) be cork hubbard who play amelia cousin who show up randomly one night . his character be never quite defined and he lack true motive and and his loyalty remain uncertain . he play no vital role in this film outside of force u and the viewer and to question his sanity and honesty . can you create a character simply by stick out your tongue and flick your ear and and punch your chest and head . finally and there be the other end of the absurd keith carradine . callow close ups of this tormented man build character and but our lack of understand between him and amelia cause his purpose to flounder . these be the character and a cliché southern a they be some stood forward and attempt to create an absurdist period piece and and i can not argue that they fail . where ballad of the sad café fail to rise above mediocrity be in the cinematography and narrative . this film be about amelia and and her need for other soul in her life . the audience level of comfort with the arrival of her midget cousin be entertain one couldn not help but wonder if he be honest or merely a confidence man attempt to leech off a warm heart . cork hubbard character be never quite understood and but we do accept him with brief shot of him and amelia do small thing together . it be his idea that transform from a recluse businesswoman to a bona fide café owner . the problem be that director callow never quite take u to that dramatic take level between cork and redgrave be the man crazy or do he represent all of amelia family . i need something from callow that bring these two out of the david lynch esquire relationship that they have . then our pool get even deep with the addition of carradine a amelia love interest . use the technique of a flashback within a flashback and we see the two wed and but never consummate their love which amelia anger against their love draw him into the world of madness . why be amelia so angry . why be there no connection between carradine and redgrave . why be this even in the film . with the lack of focus towards these character connection and the eventual scene between the two make no sense throw in cork choice and it just get completely discombobulate . while there be a few beautiful choreograph scene that callow create and the inability to transfer his character from point a to point b. i lose focus and interest and and my care for the character plummet when i do not understand the ultimate question why . overall and the ballad of the sad café begin with a bang and but end with a very small crack of a firecracker . my emotional feel of this film swing up and down and up and down and and eventually stay far down mainly due to the lack of understanding of the motif of the character . redgrave do a phenomenal job a amelia and and while the other character ( outside of the random steiger ) try their best and i just do not quite understand who they be . their motif be so muddle that when the emotional end finally occur and i be apathetic . director callow seem to have be lack import connect scene that would allow u to understand the dynamic relationship between all of our main player . callow create some beautiful scene where face seem to overlap the scenery and which allow u to focus on amelia or carradine and but nothing be explain or develop . the film play out with anger and discover and happiness and flashback and anger and anger and anger and fade out . without the comparative connector and this transform from distinguished period film to actor play part in front of camera . it be a shame and because sad café have the promise and it just couldn not deliver . grade represent ½ out of .