Goodbye Christopher Robin - movie review
Goodbye Christopher Robin
Plot: A behind-the-scenes look at the life of author A.A. Milne and the creation of the Winnie the Pooh stories inspired by his son C.R. Milne.
Cast: Domhnall Gleeson, Margot Robbie, Kelly Macdonald
Director: Simon Curtis
Certificate: PG (mild war violence)
Runtime: 1hr 47 mins
Release Date: Friday 29th September 2017
Everyone knows the tales of Winnie the Pooh and all of the enigmatic animals that live deep inside the Hundred Acre Wood. Anyone who lived a normal childhood would have been read these stories as we went on journeys with Tigger, the bouncing tiger who somehow inexplicably found himself in a forest, Piglet, the shy baby pig whose gender has always been a confusing topic and Eeyore, the depressed donkey who can never seem to get a break. This is all part and parcel of our early lives. What we don't really know about and have never considered was how this world was created in the first place. Goodbye Christopher Robin details the birth of Winnie the Pooh and all of his surrounding universe whilst allowing us an insight into the personal life of the author, A.A. Milne and the relationship he shares with his son, Christopher Robin.
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| This isn't awkward at all. |
First and foremost, those going into Goodbye Christopher Robin expecting an entirely Winnie the Pooh centric film that is another whirlwind adventure for all ages will be sorely disappointed. A family in front of myself soon realised their mistake as Milne suddenly suffers quite a vivid war flashback. It also is by no means just a story as to how Winnie the Pooh came to be. The origin story serves more of a by-product as the film chooses to focus on the familial tensions between the Milnes. Ideas such as PTSD, child neglect and other cultural themes are tossed around freely without consideration that the younger members in the audience will be totally and utterly confused. Knowing all of this, Goodbye Christopher Robin has a fair share of merits. Easily the strongest aspect to the movie are the performances from the leads, especially Domhnall Gleeson and Will Tilston. Gleeson has yet again proven himself to be a true up and coming star that in a few years, he's more than likely to be a name you'll hear time and time again during award ceremonies. As the prestigious author who, at the beginning of the film is going through a bout of writer's block, Gleeson exudes mass professionalism in a complex role. He navigates through varying personalities as we, the audience, drift in and out of whether we sympathise with his character or hold him in contempt for aiding in the destruction of his son's childhood. The film treads a very thin line over stumbling into one aspect of his character more so than the other. Whenever the flashbacks strike, Gleeson doesn't overact them but instead, freezes in terror and seems to cease all motor functions. Those scenes really struck a chord in my heart. On the flip side, Will Tilston give a more heartwarming and joyous depiction of the poor youngster that's stuck in the middle of all this chaos. Tilston amazes in this breakout role acting on par with all of his co-stars and, in some scenes, out acts the seasoned professionals. Scenes in which he shares the screen with Gleeson and the always reliable Kelly Macdonald who plays the Nanny of the household, are some of the highlights. His interactions alongside his father and the bond that we witness blossom between the two as they conjure up this ground-breaking world to be is the greatest selling point of this movie. Many will draw comparisons of this film to other motion pictures like Saving Mr. Banks but whereas in Saving Mr. Banks I became more fascinated with the behind-the-scenes look as to how Mary Poppins was made rather than the insight into P. L. Travers' family history, in Goodbye Christopher Robin, the family dynamics gripped me. It's whenever conglomeracy became involved and the debate over Christopher Robin (or Billy Moon as he's often referred to) living in the limelight that the film didn't have the pace or the investment to continue maintaining my attention.
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| No matter the age, Pooh sticks always brings out your competitive side. |
FACT: The film is being released in 2017 which marks the 40th anniversary of Walt Disney's 22nd animated film The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Around the hour mark is when said attention began to wane. Throughout the first act, I was enthralled by the set up and wondering where this true story could go. Unfortunately, as soon as the concept for Winnie the Pooh had been discussed, Goodbye Christopher Robin wafted into an everyday, dull and uneventful biopic that you'd likely find on Channel 5 on a Sunday evening. So, for what was an hour of promise and joy and a film that seemed to be shaping up to be one of the most pleasant cinematic experiences this year, the final fifty minutes occurred and circumstances gradually declined in quality. Firstly, the initial source of trouble was Margot Robbie. Do not fear, Robbie is as effervescent as always and does her best with the character she's been given. Sadly, the writing for Daphne Milne is incredibly poor leaving her character thinly realised and reminiscent of an evil stepmother that you may find in a pantomime. Most of her scenes consist of her slagging off her own son, his beloved Nanny and her husband's inability to work due to his PTSD. Combine all of this together and the result is a wholly unlikeable portrayal of a woman that for all we know, wasn't as despicable as this film may suggest. The film also stumbles to keep the unfolding events captivating and original enough. Obviously, the film is centred on real events so creative liberties cannot really be taken all that freely but you can have a slight bit of leeway in regards to ensuring the pace doesn't grind to a halt. Unfortunately, at multiple times during the runtime of Goodbye Christopher Robin, I found myself checking my watch to see how long I had left due to the film going around in circles yet moving nowhere progressively. Thankfully, after a lull in proceedings, the film begins to find itself again through a worthwhile final act that certainly knows how to tug on the heartstrings.
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| Surprise Bear attack! |
All in all, Goodbye Christopher Robin is an entertaining and revealing watch that I feel is worth a look into if the subject matter interests you and if you have a strong connection of the Winnie the Pooh tales. Otherwise, you won't be missing out on much. It features brilliant performances from the leads and the father-son relationship is poignantly detailed however I can't say that I will be rushing back to watch this anytime soon, if at all.
My Verdict: 6/10
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