| Product: |
Miss Potter (DVD) |
| Date: |
04/08/08 (188 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Charming and magical, wonderful story, lovely llustrations
Disadvantages: None at all
I haven't seen a film for quite a while, so when I saw an advert on BBC1 during the week for the film Miss Potter, I immediately put it into my Sky planner so that I wouldn't forget to watch it. I'd already read some reviews which said the movie was fantastic so when my reminder came up on Sunday evening that the film was about to start, I happily switched the channel over ready to watch a lovely film.
Miss Potter tells us the story of the author Beatrix Potter, one of the best-selling childrens book authors of all time. The film begins in 1905 when Beatrix, or Miss Potter as she's known in her social circles, is 32 years old, and still living at home with parents. She has many drawings and stories in her room upstairs and is determined to become a published author. So when Frederick Warne & Co. publishers do indeed publish her book, Beatrix's dreams all come true. But Beatrix isn't content with just being an author, she wants much more from life...
Essentially, this is a film about the success of Beatrix Potter as an author, and how well her books were received by the public at the time of original publication in the 1900s. However, there are more serious themes running through the film, such as the social expectation of the time regarding marriage and acceptable suitors, and the status of women also. The fact that Beatrix was 32 and unmarried was unacceptable to her parents, despite the fact she was to become one of the most successful authors of all time. It embraces the era with wonderful period costumes, and the homes features are also intricate and suited to the period of the film. The way the film can bring in these more serious strands alongside the fairytale charm of the movie is a real credit to the film-makers, and it is what makes this film so charming and watchable.
Beatrix herself is played by American actress Renee Zellweger, who has tried her hand at a British accent before in the role of Bridget Jones which was a roaring success. I doubted how well she could slot into the role of a 1900s British woman but she does so superbly and with a real charm about her, and is completely genuine on screen as Beatrix that you are just transported into her world and follow her, your emotions diving up and down alongside Beatrix's. She pulls off a performance worthy of such a famous author, and you can believe that she is the woman who wrote the most charming stories, and had the passion to published them for all to enjoy. Zellweger really embraces the role, and delivers to perfection.
Her co-stars consist of the marvellous Ewan McGregor who plays the role of Norman Warne, Beatrix's publisher and close companion. Initially, he is a bumbling awkward character, but McGregor allows the audience to grow to like his character by developing a superb on-screen relationship with Zellweger, and developing the character of Norman alongside that of Beatrix, which is a joy to watch. There is one particular scene involving a short dance which is so charming and magical, my fiance and I just couldn't stop smiling while it was on-screen, it was beautiful! Other cast members include Emily Watson who plays Norman's funny sister Millie with gusto, a great contrast to Beatrix's more shy and withdrawn persona. Barbara Flynn plays Helen Potter, Beatrix's snobbish and obnoxious mother, and Bill Paterson is Rupert Potter, Beatrix's supportive father.
The scenery of the film was absolutely beautiful, really capturing the essence of how London and the countryside was in the 1900s with some amazing scenic views and atmosphere about it. Filming actually took place on the Isle of Man, the Lake District and Cumbria, showcasing some of Britain's beautiful locations perfectly, with some fantastic scenes of an authentic steam train being shot at Bluebell Railway in Sussex, really capturing the period of time wonderfully. Something I never usually mention in a movie review is the soundtrack, but I'll make an exception here. The wonderful music used throughout only serves to accent and bring to life a fairytale movie, with its tinking, charming melodies throughout spreading its magic. The composer Nigel Westlake has really captured the essence of the film in its soundtrack, and I just found it a pleasure to both watch and listen to. As well as its musical pieces, Katie Melua performed a version of a song found in the movie, "When You Taught Me How To Dance" and it was a perfect ending to the fim.
The final element I loved about the film was the inclusion of animation in snippets throughout the film, which was just lovely and watch and ensured the film would appeal to its younger viewers. It showed us the way Beatrix's mind worked, that to her her drawings were real and came alive on the paper only for her. The animation was beautifully done, with the classic characters of Jemima Puddleduck, Peter Rabbit and many more coming to life on screen perfectly. My favourite animated scene was definitely the coach for Beatrix's parents, it was so perfect, and fairytale like.
All I can say about this movie is that it is just faultless. I can't comment on any inaccuracies as I don't know enough about Miss Potter to comment but I'm sure there will be some that slate the movie for such problems but for me, it was just an enjoyable dramatisation of someone's life, and I took it for what it was. It has charm, atmosphere, magic and is just such an adorably sweet movie, I cannot help but recommend it! Zellweger is perfect as Beatrix Potter, allowing her character to grow throughout the movie with a reserved manner, with her coming to life when talking about her famous stories, including The Tale of Peter Rabbit, and Jemima Puddleduck. The beautiful scenery was a joy to watch, and the music just rounded off what is really a superbly joyful film. It is inspiring to see a woman who society then would have deemed unsuccessful because she wasn't married proving everyone wrong by becoming so successful because of her passion. I loved it, I am so glad I watched it and it has reawakened my interest in the childhood books I loved, and will now read to Harry!
Directed by Chris Noonan, and written by Richard Maltby Jnr. The film was released in the UK in January 2007, with a PG certificate in the UK. The film runs for 92 minutes. You can buy a copy on Amazon for £4.98.
Main Cast:
Renée Zellweger ... Beatrix Potter
Ewan McGregor ... Norman Warne
Emily Watson ... Millie Warne
Barbara Flynn ... Helen Potter
Bill Paterson ... Rupert Potter
Matyelok Gibbs ... Miss Wiggin
Lloyd Owen ... William Heelis
Thank you for reading.
Summary: Super magical little movie
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