As is customary with any biographical film, before watching, I familiarize myself with the main characters, studying their life and creative paths. When a film is tagged as a "biography", it's important to adhere to the rules, following the flow of facts while organically merging them with the artistic component.
The birth of the iconic literary work of Alan Alexander Milne piques curiosity and prompts careful viewing, although it becomes apparent almost immediately that the authors are attempting to delve deeper, illuminating other facets of Milne's writerly life.
First and foremost, the impact of war on the writer is delicately and successfully realized. Secondly, the closeness between father and son. They truly spent a lot of time together and actively communicated until the younger turned 25.
The author's son, by the way, is genuine and lively, handling his role well. Other actors also maintain a high standard.
Among the drawbacks, I would note the following:
1. The miscast of the adult Christopher Robin (played by Alex Lawther). Small eyes, different stature, and head shape. He doesn't resemble either the real young Milne or the actor Will Tilston.
2. Biographical inaccuracies. The initial sketches were made by Milne as he watched Christopher Robin's mother play with him and his toys. Later, the father joined in, much to the child's delight, helping the writer further explore the imaginary world and its fairy-tale characters. In the film, however, the author's wife (played by Margot Robbie) takes a back seat and simply disappears under the pretext that he supposedly isn't writing at all.
3. Also, Christopher Milne's "hatred" towards Winnie the Pooh formed much later, in the post-war years, when he was trying to find employment and earn independently. In the film, the growing up and disdain for the literary character who made the family incredibly wealthy and famous occur during his youth when he goes off to war.
4. The soundtrack is average. The musical accompaniment is dull and not memorable, failing to leave a lasting impression or enhance the imagery.
5. There's a lack of artistic expression. At some point, the film turns into a recounting of facts from the writer's and his family's lives. It's visually pleasing, the scenery is beautiful, but towards the end, I found it tedious.
Overall, I enjoyed the film, and it's definitely worth watching for anyone interested in learning more about the writer Alan Alexander Milne, his son, and the world-famous teddy bear and his friends.
However, I'd give it a rating of only 6 out of 10.
The birth of the iconic literary work of Alan Alexander Milne piques curiosity and prompts careful viewing, although it becomes apparent almost immediately that the authors are attempting to delve deeper, illuminating other facets of Milne's writerly life.
First and foremost, the impact of war on the writer is delicately and successfully realized. Secondly, the closeness between father and son. They truly spent a lot of time together and actively communicated until the younger turned 25.
The author's son, by the way, is genuine and lively, handling his role well. Other actors also maintain a high standard.
Among the drawbacks, I would note the following:
1. The miscast of the adult Christopher Robin (played by Alex Lawther). Small eyes, different stature, and head shape. He doesn't resemble either the real young Milne or the actor Will Tilston.
2. Biographical inaccuracies. The initial sketches were made by Milne as he watched Christopher Robin's mother play with him and his toys. Later, the father joined in, much to the child's delight, helping the writer further explore the imaginary world and its fairy-tale characters. In the film, however, the author's wife (played by Margot Robbie) takes a back seat and simply disappears under the pretext that he supposedly isn't writing at all.
3. Also, Christopher Milne's "hatred" towards Winnie the Pooh formed much later, in the post-war years, when he was trying to find employment and earn independently. In the film, the growing up and disdain for the literary character who made the family incredibly wealthy and famous occur during his youth when he goes off to war.
4. The soundtrack is average. The musical accompaniment is dull and not memorable, failing to leave a lasting impression or enhance the imagery.
5. There's a lack of artistic expression. At some point, the film turns into a recounting of facts from the writer's and his family's lives. It's visually pleasing, the scenery is beautiful, but towards the end, I found it tedious.
Overall, I enjoyed the film, and it's definitely worth watching for anyone interested in learning more about the writer Alan Alexander Milne, his son, and the world-famous teddy bear and his friends.
However, I'd give it a rating of only 6 out of 10.
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