It's a real pity; it's a hilarious book, the cast is excellent, the sets are terrific, and yet, the film just misses the mark.
It was as if none of the screen writers understood the book's humor, really, and there were only a few things about the film that I did enjoy: (1) Mrs. Smiling and the way the film showed how she keeps her collection; (2) Seth and Reuben looked like brothers; (3) I adore Sir Ian in anything he does, and he did a lovely job on Amos, different from Alistair Sim, but just as delightful.
I think what was really needed for this film to work was a better screenplay based on the book. I honestly don't think that this movie captured the fun of the book in the way that the earlier BBC version did.
I actually found it a bit tedious, rather than fun, and they left out some of the best lines, really, for no good reason. I found that it got rather boring toward the end, and didn't really manage to give a sense of Flora Poste's STRUGGLE to change Cold Comfort Farm--it all changed too easily, and so one didn't really have the nice tension "will she succeed?"--she wins over everybody far too easily, and I think a good deal of the story is probably incomprehensible without knowing the book first.
So--my verdict is: find that wonderful old BBC version with Alistair Sim and Rosalie Crutchley and Faye Compton--and treat yourself to the book, which is the sort you pull out again to enjoy afresh, years later, and catch this one if it comes on TV, but don't go out of your way for it.
It was as if none of the screen writers understood the book's humor, really, and there were only a few things about the film that I did enjoy: (1) Mrs. Smiling and the way the film showed how she keeps her collection; (2) Seth and Reuben looked like brothers; (3) I adore Sir Ian in anything he does, and he did a lovely job on Amos, different from Alistair Sim, but just as delightful.
I think what was really needed for this film to work was a better screenplay based on the book. I honestly don't think that this movie captured the fun of the book in the way that the earlier BBC version did.
I actually found it a bit tedious, rather than fun, and they left out some of the best lines, really, for no good reason. I found that it got rather boring toward the end, and didn't really manage to give a sense of Flora Poste's STRUGGLE to change Cold Comfort Farm--it all changed too easily, and so one didn't really have the nice tension "will she succeed?"--she wins over everybody far too easily, and I think a good deal of the story is probably incomprehensible without knowing the book first.
So--my verdict is: find that wonderful old BBC version with Alistair Sim and Rosalie Crutchley and Faye Compton--and treat yourself to the book, which is the sort you pull out again to enjoy afresh, years later, and catch this one if it comes on TV, but don't go out of your way for it.