Whenever I'm judging a biopic film, I always see if it passes my test of having that "spark" for why it needed to be made into a live-action portrayal of the events (or maybe should have just been a documentary). For the first 2/3 of "Goodbye Christopher Robin", it didn't (or just barely) passed that test. Fortunately, the final act really redeems it by adding in some emotion that truly felt real.
For a basic plot summary, this film tells the story of how author A.A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) conceived his Winnie The Pooh books by watching the playtime of his son Christopher Robin (Will Tilston). The movie extends that lens, however, by continuing past the publication of the books and focusing on the struggles of an adolescent Christopher (Alex Lawther) and how much he resented being "the real Christopher Robin".
Like I said above, the first 2/3 of "Goodbye Christopher Robin" were "just okay", and that is at best. At times it felt a bit emotionless and plodding, and I wondered if perhaps this story wasn't quite exciting enough to be worthy of a live-action biopic. Perhaps a well-constructed documentary would do on the subject? It just didn't seem to offer one single really interesting thing that wasn't either already shown in the trailer or couldn't be guessed by common sense for how reality transpires.
But then, in quite a turnaround, the film really focuses in on the struggles of Christopher Robin post-Pooh, and that's where things really pick up steam (especially when Lawther's performances as Robin begin). This is where the film breaks from being just a "straight Pooh origin story" (of which it is passable at best) to being a deeper examination of emotional themes between individuals. These are the scenes in the film where I really felt like I cared about the people on screen, instead of just being told a story I basically already knew.
In terms of acting, things often feel a bit stilted at certain points. Both Gleeson and Robbie (playing Christopher's mother) are great actors, but they perhaps seem a bit odd for their respective roles here. Robbie's character shined much as as a "young mother" and declined as the film went on, whereas I felt Gleeson's performance actually stepped up a notch as he portrayed an older father. In a lot of ways, though, the cinematography steals the show here, what with all the wonderful shots of the English countryside as well the noir, if you will, of London of that time period.
Like most children, I went through a Winnie the Pooh phase, and that's obviously why a film like this appeals to so many viewers. This one will never be an out-and-out classic, but it can still be enjoyed, especially by those who prefer a more straightforward approach to biopics. The last portions of the film really make up for the paint-by-numbers approach in the early goings, too.
For a basic plot summary, this film tells the story of how author A.A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) conceived his Winnie The Pooh books by watching the playtime of his son Christopher Robin (Will Tilston). The movie extends that lens, however, by continuing past the publication of the books and focusing on the struggles of an adolescent Christopher (Alex Lawther) and how much he resented being "the real Christopher Robin".
Like I said above, the first 2/3 of "Goodbye Christopher Robin" were "just okay", and that is at best. At times it felt a bit emotionless and plodding, and I wondered if perhaps this story wasn't quite exciting enough to be worthy of a live-action biopic. Perhaps a well-constructed documentary would do on the subject? It just didn't seem to offer one single really interesting thing that wasn't either already shown in the trailer or couldn't be guessed by common sense for how reality transpires.
But then, in quite a turnaround, the film really focuses in on the struggles of Christopher Robin post-Pooh, and that's where things really pick up steam (especially when Lawther's performances as Robin begin). This is where the film breaks from being just a "straight Pooh origin story" (of which it is passable at best) to being a deeper examination of emotional themes between individuals. These are the scenes in the film where I really felt like I cared about the people on screen, instead of just being told a story I basically already knew.
In terms of acting, things often feel a bit stilted at certain points. Both Gleeson and Robbie (playing Christopher's mother) are great actors, but they perhaps seem a bit odd for their respective roles here. Robbie's character shined much as as a "young mother" and declined as the film went on, whereas I felt Gleeson's performance actually stepped up a notch as he portrayed an older father. In a lot of ways, though, the cinematography steals the show here, what with all the wonderful shots of the English countryside as well the noir, if you will, of London of that time period.
Like most children, I went through a Winnie the Pooh phase, and that's obviously why a film like this appeals to so many viewers. This one will never be an out-and-out classic, but it can still be enjoyed, especially by those who prefer a more straightforward approach to biopics. The last portions of the film really make up for the paint-by-numbers approach in the early goings, too.