A surprising friendship between a pre-teen boy from lower middle class and an upperclass young woman results in a trauma that emotionally stunts Jack Hollington for years. His aiding of sweet Joanna Vanderham seems like an effort for him to feel accepted outside of his class as he stays with a friend for the summer from the upperclass, and as the emotionally stunted older Jim Broadbent confronts the past by visiting Vanessa Redgrave (Vanderham years later), it's obvious that this meeting is long overdue.
Rather slow moving and humorless, but beautiful physically and romantic emotionally, it's hard to get into, but eventually the points are made even if the viewer begins to struggle to stay involved. I was fascinated by the coldness of the performance of Lesley Manville, absolutely chilly in every way. Ben Blatt is very steamy in his role as a local farmer. Very theatrical and literary, this won't be everyone's cup of tea, and will obviously be compared to the 1971 original film. But like good literature, it builds, and while not a solid structuring when the roof blows off, it's explosive and disturbing.
Rather slow moving and humorless, but beautiful physically and romantic emotionally, it's hard to get into, but eventually the points are made even if the viewer begins to struggle to stay involved. I was fascinated by the coldness of the performance of Lesley Manville, absolutely chilly in every way. Ben Blatt is very steamy in his role as a local farmer. Very theatrical and literary, this won't be everyone's cup of tea, and will obviously be compared to the 1971 original film. But like good literature, it builds, and while not a solid structuring when the roof blows off, it's explosive and disturbing.