What sort of film: Delightful and moving, combining adult drama and children’s story.
Plot: Christopher Robin has grown up and become a hard-pressed office worker who is neglecting his wife Evelyn and daughter Madeleine. He receives a visit from Winnie-the-Pooh who re-teaches him some important lessons he has forgotten.
Detail: CR’s problems go further than ‘not enough time with the family’: he has changed in personality and, with a new focus on efficiency and output, has lost his childhood sense of wonder and play. Winnie-the-Pooh is later joined by CR’s other past companions from Hundred-Acre Wood: Eeyore, Piglet, Tigger, Owl, Rabbit, Kanga and Roo.
Lead actors: Ewan MacGregor plays the adult Christopher Robin, Hayley Atwell is Evelyn Robin.
Review: A well-made, complete film, with a believable scenario and characters and a well-developed plot, drawn to a satisfying conclusion. It operates at two levels, which become mixed together without losing their distinct styles: a thoughtful, though slightly satirical, drama about adult life; and a whimsical, amusing children’s story.
The film is clearly commenting on how modern adult working life can drive people too hard, not only taking up too much of people’s personal time, but corroding their character. Winnie-the-Pooh and friends are, in effect, teaching home truths not only to CR, but also to the adults watching the film.
The wisdom of Pooh hits home in quite a powerful and moving way: that a group of woodland creatures have a better sense of how to live well than many modern adults.
Any criticism: This film could possibly have been taken to greater heights and had more impact. It doesn’t sparkle as much as the recent Paddington films. On a lesser point, the more serious first half possibly goes on too long, meaning the film takes a while to get into gear properly.
Which audience ? The film is perhaps mainly aimed at adults with a good knowledge of the Winnie-the-Pooh stories. Young children would enjoy the lively final third of the film, but may find much of the first half dull.
Reception: Critics, who have exactingly high standards, have been muted, finding fault on various points, and generally giving 3/5. However, the public have really taken to it, with 4/5s.
Key phrase: ‘Doing nothing can lead to the best of something’.
Memorable line: ‘They say nothing is impossible, but I do nothing all the time’ (Winnie-the-Pooh)
Most surising discovery: We find that the dreaded Heffalumps and Woozles may indeed exist, but not in the form we thought.
Special Effects: Due to very advanced CGI, Winnie-the-Pooh and friends walk and talk very realistically in the film, like cuddly toys come to life. Or perhaps they really are real.
Rating: 4/5
Official website: https://disney.co.uk/movies/christopher-robin
Background
Recent films on the making of famous films for children
There have been several films in recent years about the making of famous children’s stories and films:
‘Goodbye Christopher Robin’ (2018) about how AA Milne wrote the stories about his son Christopher and his woodland friends. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodbye_Christopher_Robin
‘Finding Neverland’ (1995) about how J M Barrie developed the story of Peter Pan. Lead roles: Johnny Depp, Kate Winslet https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finding_Neverland_(film)
‘Saving Mr Banks’ (2013) about how Walt Disney developed the book ‘Mary Poppins’ into a film, with the reluctant cooperation of the author P L Travers. Lead roles: Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saving_Mr._Banks
Comments