Mark those calendars folks, this was just the beginning, after a glamorous premiere in London’s Leicester Square, the film later on received a whole lot of other screenings throughout the UK. Now, While it may appeal to some of the middle class and rural audiences that might appreciate the honest and flashy drama, politics and love affairs from the village life, it is safe to say that Spiderman or Batman won’t be quaking in their boots anytime soon. Audiences around the globe might find this quaint British oddity rather intriguing but it surely seems like the only real life it has is back in the UK.
The final product may not be as intriguing, but the story itself is quite interesting. This gives us some context surrounding the film Guy Browning where the author is based in the beautiful village of Kingston Bagpuize located in Oxfordshire. He thought that his hometown would serve perfectly as a location for a movie. Close to 400 villagers stepped up to volunteer and help with the film. The entire cast and crew would stay with the villagers. Catering was done by the Women’s Institute while props, driving, costumes, makeup and other logistical tasks were done by an army of villagers.
Ed Vaizey, who is the local MP and currently the minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) happens to be among the villagers starring in the film in a cameo role.
The story mainly revolves a painfully slow romance between introverted gardener Tom (Tom Mitchelson) and Polish nanny Anya (Alice Zawadski), who is sort of a child care assistant for hire. He has moved back from London to work in the grounds of the village’s manor house, while she is au pair to young Harry (Tom Yates), whose uncaring parents live in the house. Supported by an entire village, it is only a matter of time until Tom loves Anya back after their relations ilusively grow through the plans for the annual village fair and background warm up.
Here, there are indeed no tortoises – simply a reference to the pace at which Tom pursues Anya’s affections which is painstakingly slow.
The village itself makes a lovely backdrop, and despite a rather clumsy plot there are some game and enthusiastic performances, with Alice Zawadski engaging as the bemused Anya who can’t quite work out why Tom is so slow. Willing Grant to a fault, Tom Mitchelson is attempting to deliver his powerless character, but he does not possess Grant’s spontaneous charisma.
In summary, the movie is something like a group of amateurs trying to stage a rom – com edition of The Archers (which is BBC radio’s long running rural soap opera), and while it was probably a joy to shoot and exciting for those involved to see themselves on the big screen, it offers little to those not in the loop.
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