Angela_Lord
Joined Jun 2014
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Angela_Lord's rating
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Angela_Lord's rating
When a naïve young student looks in a mirror and glimpses a more glamorous reflection of herself, we're on board with the Alice through the Looking Glass theme, and all set to relive the Swinging Sixties in the company of the gorgeous Sandy. (Anya Taylor Joy)
Newly arrived in London to study fashion design, Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) is first dazzled by the bright lights, but soon starts to experience the seedier side of Soho. When she falls asleep in her attic room, she is transported to the past, and her life goes from drab to fab, as she draws inspiration from Sandy's style for her fashion designs.
The Sixties vibe is boosted by the appearance of stars from the era: silver fox Terence Stamp, Rita Tushingham as Eloise's gran, and the late, great Diana Rigg in her final performance as the landlady from hell.
When Sandy first meets Jack (Matt Smith) in a night club, she is captivated by his boyish charm, but his interest in her takes on a sinister undertone as he begins to control her life. The further we go down the rabbit hole, the darker it gets.
Back in the present, Eloise's flashbacks to her night-time terrors add to her increasing mental fragility. She is comforted by her class-mate John, (Michael Ajao) who might have been better off staying in the friends zone rather than ending up as an unlikely love interest, given how things pan out when he's invited back to her creepy attic room.
The final scenes pile on a few ham-fisted plot twists, which all amount to an implausible ending. If only someone had looked in the mirror and seen Hitchcock, they might have got a few tips on how to make a truly suspenseful psychological thriller, rather than this poor imitation of a Sixties classic.
Newly arrived in London to study fashion design, Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) is first dazzled by the bright lights, but soon starts to experience the seedier side of Soho. When she falls asleep in her attic room, she is transported to the past, and her life goes from drab to fab, as she draws inspiration from Sandy's style for her fashion designs.
The Sixties vibe is boosted by the appearance of stars from the era: silver fox Terence Stamp, Rita Tushingham as Eloise's gran, and the late, great Diana Rigg in her final performance as the landlady from hell.
When Sandy first meets Jack (Matt Smith) in a night club, she is captivated by his boyish charm, but his interest in her takes on a sinister undertone as he begins to control her life. The further we go down the rabbit hole, the darker it gets.
Back in the present, Eloise's flashbacks to her night-time terrors add to her increasing mental fragility. She is comforted by her class-mate John, (Michael Ajao) who might have been better off staying in the friends zone rather than ending up as an unlikely love interest, given how things pan out when he's invited back to her creepy attic room.
The final scenes pile on a few ham-fisted plot twists, which all amount to an implausible ending. If only someone had looked in the mirror and seen Hitchcock, they might have got a few tips on how to make a truly suspenseful psychological thriller, rather than this poor imitation of a Sixties classic.
Swallows and Amazons captures the essence of a beautiful British summer, in this film adaptation of the popular children's classic, celebrating the delights of the great outdoors, set against the picturesque backdrop of Cumbria's Lake District.
England's green and pleasant land looks at its loveliest as director Philippa Lowthorpe makes the most of the lush landscapes of the Lakes, the original setting for the book by Arthur Ransome. Derwentwater and Coniston Water offer some spectacular views, while the Walker children set up camp during their summer break and have fun mucking about in their boat, the Swallow. Sailing and camping play a large part in a world of make-believe where pirates lurk around the corner, boats are captured and prisoners are made to walk the plank.
The screenplay by Andrea Gibb remains largely true to the spirit of the original stories, while adding an extra dimension to the plot in the form of a family friend called Uncle Jim, who is revealed to be a spy. This intriguing plot twist was inspired by Ransome's own eventful life, and his diplomatic activities during his time in Russia, when he met his wife-to-be, Evegenia.
After returning to Britain, Ransome later went to live in a cottage in the Lake District, and Swallows and Amazons, the first book in the series, was published in 1930. While some fans of the book might be dismayed at the changes to the original plot, others may enjoy this evocation of a bygone golden age, featuring the quaint cobbled streets of Heptonstall in West Yorkshire and the steam trains of Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.
The story highlights the importance of playfulness in our lives - the sense of fun, vivid imagination, and taste for adventure which underpin our youth, as yet unfettered by grown-up concerns, but should not be entirely forgotten in adulthood, if we are to nurture the inner child. After seeing this film, perhaps some youngsters might be persuaded to rediscover the outdoor delights of clambering on rocks, picnicking in meadows or paddling in streams.
England's green and pleasant land looks at its loveliest as director Philippa Lowthorpe makes the most of the lush landscapes of the Lakes, the original setting for the book by Arthur Ransome. Derwentwater and Coniston Water offer some spectacular views, while the Walker children set up camp during their summer break and have fun mucking about in their boat, the Swallow. Sailing and camping play a large part in a world of make-believe where pirates lurk around the corner, boats are captured and prisoners are made to walk the plank.
The screenplay by Andrea Gibb remains largely true to the spirit of the original stories, while adding an extra dimension to the plot in the form of a family friend called Uncle Jim, who is revealed to be a spy. This intriguing plot twist was inspired by Ransome's own eventful life, and his diplomatic activities during his time in Russia, when he met his wife-to-be, Evegenia.
After returning to Britain, Ransome later went to live in a cottage in the Lake District, and Swallows and Amazons, the first book in the series, was published in 1930. While some fans of the book might be dismayed at the changes to the original plot, others may enjoy this evocation of a bygone golden age, featuring the quaint cobbled streets of Heptonstall in West Yorkshire and the steam trains of Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.
The story highlights the importance of playfulness in our lives - the sense of fun, vivid imagination, and taste for adventure which underpin our youth, as yet unfettered by grown-up concerns, but should not be entirely forgotten in adulthood, if we are to nurture the inner child. After seeing this film, perhaps some youngsters might be persuaded to rediscover the outdoor delights of clambering on rocks, picnicking in meadows or paddling in streams.