I think I wanted more from this one? If it is just the beginning of a series, I may be able to forgive it somewhat, but if this is the sum total of their connection, I can't help feeling that it is not quite noteworthy enough to bother making in to a film.
I was quite disappointed that their actual meeting only lasted a few minutes, as I'd expected the whole film to be about the connection that they had made. However, if there are going to be follow ups that show the rest of their story, then this was a nice gentle way to start it. As a stand alone story though, I felt it was quite slow going and lacked the interest I thought it would provide. If they had become the best of friends or if he had helped her write a book or she had inspired him to write his first, then I could see the point, otherwise it was just a little bit twee.
Don't get me wrong, it was a nice little film, but it didn't really seem to go anywhere. It was filmed well and in some great locations and the actors were all very good. Jessica Hynes in particular, despite her almost Welsh, Norwegian accent, was a very good character as Roald's Mother. Why they chose Rob Brydon to play William Heelis though, I don't know? He was not Welsh as far as I can see? Honestly I just don't like Mr Brydon anyway. John Hannah was and is always an inspired choice as the narrator, that voice just has such charm.
I'd love to see the IMDB trivia section fill up with information about the actual connection between the two, in order to understand it better. I made a vague attempt at studying it via Wikipedia, but could not satisfy my curiosity. Perhaps it should have been completely truthful instead of just sort of?
I was quite disappointed that their actual meeting only lasted a few minutes, as I'd expected the whole film to be about the connection that they had made. However, if there are going to be follow ups that show the rest of their story, then this was a nice gentle way to start it. As a stand alone story though, I felt it was quite slow going and lacked the interest I thought it would provide. If they had become the best of friends or if he had helped her write a book or she had inspired him to write his first, then I could see the point, otherwise it was just a little bit twee.
Don't get me wrong, it was a nice little film, but it didn't really seem to go anywhere. It was filmed well and in some great locations and the actors were all very good. Jessica Hynes in particular, despite her almost Welsh, Norwegian accent, was a very good character as Roald's Mother. Why they chose Rob Brydon to play William Heelis though, I don't know? He was not Welsh as far as I can see? Honestly I just don't like Mr Brydon anyway. John Hannah was and is always an inspired choice as the narrator, that voice just has such charm.
I'd love to see the IMDB trivia section fill up with information about the actual connection between the two, in order to understand it better. I made a vague attempt at studying it via Wikipedia, but could not satisfy my curiosity. Perhaps it should have been completely truthful instead of just sort of?