The Pearl Comb written and directed by Ali Cook packs a lot into its 20-minute running time. The story centres around a Betty Lutey (Beatie Edney), a fisherman’s wife who has asked Gregory Lutey (Ali Cook), a doctor and member of the family, to come and investigate the ‘miracle cure’ of a child with tuberculosis. This is Cornwall in 1893 so the Doctor’s scepticism is as much to do with a woman’s place being in the home rather than practicing medicine illegally. His hubris is challenged when she tells him the story of how her husband helped a mermaid and made a pact that gave him the gift of healing. We are kept guessing whether the story is real or whether Betty Lutey has hidden her medical practice behind the folklore.
The film stars Beatie Edney as Betty Lutey (Poldark), Simon Armstrong as her husband Lutey (Game of Thrones), Clara Paget as The Mermaid (Black Sails), and director Ali Cook as Gregory Lutey the Doctor.
Mermaids have always been a fertile ground for filmmakers with a plethora of titles featuring these mythical half-human-half-fish creatures. At the lighter end of there is Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid (1948), Splash (1984) and Disney’s The Little Mermaid (1989) which – for obvious reasons – sanitised Hans Christian Anderson’s original story in which the mermaid gaining legs comes with excruciating pain and much bleeding. But the folklore dates as far back as the seventh and eighth century when mermaids were seen as malevolent, luring sailors to their doom, and were often depicted with a mirror and comb. This means they are also perfect for horror as depicted on screen in titles such as She Creature (2001), The Lure (2015) and Blue My Mind (2017)*.
With only 20 minutes to develop story and character it’s a testament to the actors that they manage to bring real depth to their parts. You have to believe in them with minimal set up and I had no doubt in the fact that Betty and Lutey have been married for years. We feel Lutey’s awe at finding the mermaid while out foraging on the coast as we do feel the rage from Betty as she suspects he has, in reality, stayed out all night drinking. Ali Cook’s pompous Doctor is perfectly pitched, and even the array of characters in the healing montage are superb. But I want to single out Beatie Edney as Betty who holds the film together with her calm demeanour in front of the Doctor covering a core of flint and maybe a secret, as well as Clara Paget who not only has to act wearing a prosthetic while immersed in freezing water but delivers her dialogue with a soft menace whilst conveying much of the mermaid’s guile and threat through her expressive face and beguiling movement.
The set dressing of their 19th century home is wonderful with loads of period medical implements and brass, stone and wood throughout. The locations are bleak and beautiful thanks to director of photography Dave Miller, and the grading brings a lightly washed-out blue to the whole film. The practical and digital effects are never overblown, serving the story well from the all-important mermaid’s tail, and her piercing blue eyes, to all the shots involving the water (even extending to a tantalising glimpse of the mermaid’s home). The sound design is excellent and never jarring, from the subtle ticking of a clock to the swirl of coastal wind to the mermaid’s closely recorded voice and her ethereal siren-song, part of the haunting soundtrack created by CLARK. Â
The Pearl Comb is a compelling watch that hooks you in from its opening shots. It punches well above the weight of its running time and shows that you don’t have to have a budget in the hundreds of millions and a 180-minute running time to create a believable and gripping film. Whether it is a tall tale or a true horror you will have to watch to find out, and the work put in by cast and crew alike is every bit as perfect as the pearl comb itself.
The film is being presented as part of the Cleveland International Film Festival and from 6-13th April you can buy it as an online stream.
The Pearl Comb on Instagram
If you are a mermaid fan and love film, I would highly recommend an episode of the BBC Radio 4 series Screenshot with Mark Kermode and Ellen E Jones which takes an – ahem – deeper dive into Mermaids on film. Screenshot (the sister show to Add To Playlist) is an exceptional show that takes a different subject or genre each episode and all episodes are available on BBC Sounds.
Review by Paul F Cook
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