This film has a great cast but is unfortunately let down by the direction. In my honest opinion Kenneth Branagh should not have directed this film. I think they should have chosen someone outside the group of very real friends to perhaps keep it from some sentimentality. Branagh also seems to not enjoy close ups that much as some really great performances are missed. For example the scene were everything is coming to a head Branagh decides to pan around a Christmas tree and you are unable to see the faces of the actors. This bad direction does take away some of the impact of the scene.
Despite the somewhat bad direction the performances are superb. While the whole cast is excellent I do think the best performance came from Hugh Laurie who was wonderful as a father who is trying to cope with the death of one his twins. The heart felt scene were he basically semi-explodes to his friends is so touching. He expresses his hurt about how people always say it's hard for a mother to lose a child and not the father is so touching and moving that despite the somewhat lack of close up his performance is still a knock out as is his scene with Imelda Staunton who plays his wife. Their scene were they work through their heartache is very powerful. I think Brangha was right to have played that in one shot. But alas both Laurie and Staunon are somewhat under used and their is very little of them actually talking to their friends.
This film despite the miss judge of direction is a rather enjoyable and delightful film that I do recommend and while does have some heartache it is a very amusing film.
Despite the somewhat bad direction the performances are superb. While the whole cast is excellent I do think the best performance came from Hugh Laurie who was wonderful as a father who is trying to cope with the death of one his twins. The heart felt scene were he basically semi-explodes to his friends is so touching. He expresses his hurt about how people always say it's hard for a mother to lose a child and not the father is so touching and moving that despite the somewhat lack of close up his performance is still a knock out as is his scene with Imelda Staunton who plays his wife. Their scene were they work through their heartache is very powerful. I think Brangha was right to have played that in one shot. But alas both Laurie and Staunon are somewhat under used and their is very little of them actually talking to their friends.
This film despite the miss judge of direction is a rather enjoyable and delightful film that I do recommend and while does have some heartache it is a very amusing film.