Gwen

Look... It's a grim story, I get it. But once you decide not to use that as a criticism there's a lot to commend this movie for. The acting is utterly convincing. Peake and Worthington Cox are at their best. It takes its time. At one point the camera stays on Gwen as she falls asleep - her eyes gradually closing and her breathing getting deeper - that's typical of the pace. It's not overly dramatic (I can barely remember the musical soundtrack - which is sparse and acoustic). But it is desperately brutal. The cinematography is beautiful - reminiscent of softly lit 17th century Dutch master interiors - no glaring light or colour - muted pallets. Story wise I know nothing of the background but you can bet someone discovered the terrible way some small farmers were treated by the Welsh mining corporations in the nineteenth century and thought - "Right - I'm going to tell their story - people need to know about this!" And if that's true - great job! Summed up in the movies pivotal line: "If you steal a sheep they take your hand, if you steal a mountain they make you a Lord". Writing this review has made me realise I enjoyed it more than I thought! This struggling little family stay with you...

Gwen is a dark and mysterious drama that is very solid in terms of storytelling, although it still leaves some question marks.

As a viewer of this film, I can feel the situation and the pain felt by Gwen. A teenage girl who misses the figure of the father, but on the other hand he must face the reality to face the mother who was hard on him. Although in the end Gwen will find out why her mother is being hard on her.

Many interesting points are used as a dressing for this film. Like the plague of cholera, the greediness, to the sense of disappointment towards God which leads to distrust. This film deserves more appreciation, also cinematography typical of the beautiful highlands of Britain, cold, quiet and full of mystery.

🌟 My Personal scor: 3.5 / 5

Stark, bleak and uncompromising portrayal of the life of a Welsh hill farm family, as demands of the industrial revolution encrouch in on their day to day existence. All depicted from the point view of eldest daughter Gwen, whose responsibilities mount as her mother's health fails, and she waits for news of her father's return from the army. While she can appreciate the beauty of the majestic North Wales landscape it cannot detracte from her struggles to keep the farm working, and the growing sense of unease as misfortunes continue to plague them, while the adults step out of ear shot to discuss issues of great importance, but the true subject remains unknown to her. The simple story is all it needs to be, as there is a uncomfortable atmosphere of mounting dread. With the sparse use of dialogue, and unknown nature of the conversations between her mother and those interested in the farmland, further elevating yours and Gwen's unease about what may befall them. For such a simple tale it is an incredibly uncomfortable watch at times and will stay with you long after a viewing.

I do enjoy folk stories on how real life was for the people, not just the rich and powerful. It was a slow burn, and dark like I expected. Life was harsh and brutal. The acting was really good, and probably was the charm of this film.

The location was absolutely stunning.

But I would have liked more insight to Gwen's Mother's sickness. And I would have loved to know what happened to Gwen, and her sister, because the film just kind of ends. Overall enjoyable if this kind of thing is your cup of tea.

How on earth does this only rate a 6? The cinematography is absolutely gorgeous. The storyline is highly suspenseful, the underlying message is compelling and outrageous. Perhaps it's not wise these days to portray unbridled capitalism in a negative light. Granted, there were some dramatic liberties taken, but the brutal enclosure movement, the rape of the countryside, and the outlandish greed and cruel masochism of early unregulated industrialism is no fairy tale. I recommend this film.