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THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY (2018)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society poster

CAST
LILY JAMES
JESSICA BROWN FINDLAY
KIT CONNOR
TOM COURTENAY
BRONAGH GALLAGHER
MATTHEW GOODE
MICHIEL HUISMAN
KATHERINE PARKINSON
NICOLO PASETTI
GLEN POWELL
PENELOPE WILTON

BASED ON THE NOVEL BY
ANNIE BARROWS
MARY ANN SHAFFER

SCREENPLAY BY
THOMAS BEZUCHA
KEVIN HOOD
DON ROOS

PRODUCED BY
GRAHAM BROADBENT
PETER CZERNIN
MITCHELL KAPLAN
PAULA MAZUR

DIRECTED BY
MIKE NEWELL

GENRE
DRAMA
HISTORY
ROMANCE

RATED
AUS:M
UK:12A
USA:NA

RUNNING TIME
124 MIN

 

 

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society image

A charming romantic drama wrapped in a captivating time-capsule mystery, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society continues the great British tradition of charismatic romance moviemaking done with class and heart touching emotion.

Perhaps the biggest casualty in post “studio era” Hollywood is the romance genre. It now lives and breathes in a mutated state, as the quality of the genre wanes to the point of near unwatchable. Where once we had Hepburn and Tracey, now we have Barrymore and Sandler. Where once we had screwball comedies of high farce and charisma, now we have the sex-comedy of the American Pie variety. Class has been replaced by crass.

Thank God, then, for the Brits. Ever since Four Weddings and a Funeral reenergised the romance genre, British filmmakers have successfully cultivated a formula where charm, cheekiness and – most important of all – emotional stakes come together. The Guernsey Literary Pie and Potato Pie Society is the latest, and best, example of the British romance at its best.

Based on the best-selling novel by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows, Guernsey.. is as much a historical drama and war tale as it is a love story. Set in 1946, the films star Lily James as Juliet Ashton, a popular writer who expectedly receives a letter from Dawsey Adams (Michael Huisman), a stranger from Guernsey Island who is a member of an oddly named book club (cue the films title). Curious, Juliet decides to visit Guernsey and finds a community still recovering from the affects of Nazi occupation, and a group of people with a ferocious look for books.   

Juliet will go on to write a book about their experiences, and through her research we delve into a mystery that is wonderfully complex and engrossing, every twist and turn and reveal that Juliet discovers beautifully written and presented. Concurrently Juliet goes through her own journey of self-discovery, and it’s here that the film presents its true strength as a love story. “Chemistry” is an often-used word, but hard to find, especially in films such as these. Yet Lily James and Michael Huisman (who hopefully should receive a larger profile after this films releases) simply ignite the screen with their palpable chemistry. Fine performances are also delivered by the entire cast, with Penelope Wilton as a jaded widower, Tom Courtney as a jovial postman, and Glen Powell’s turn as a cocky American suitor, key amongst them.

Directing Guernsey… is Mike Newell, who (of course) made his big splash with Four Weddings and a Funeral some 14 years ago. Newell again makes his mark in the canon of British romance movies with a film of deep intrigue and deeper emotion, brilliantly handling the numerous time shifts and presenting the numerous supporting characters without misstep or clutter. The Guernsey Literary Pie and Potato Pie Society may be a mouthful of a title, yet the film is nourishment for the heart and soul.

 

****

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