Who could pass up the opportunity to see Judy Dench and Maggie Smith working together? Not me! They get lots of screen time, and they don't disappoint. They provide low key performances that, nevertheless, carry plenty of tension. This is a character story, an evocation of people, time, and place, like so many wonderful small English films.
Some of the editing bothered me. I also wondered about the lack of development given the mysterious character who suddenly enters their lives -- it is a glaring omission, given the attention lavished on the ladies. Here lies what was, for me, the central disappointment in the film. Two German speaking young adults have left their countries and come to Cornwall. Who are they really? Why have they left? What is their business in Cornwall? Intriguing possibilities and complications abound, given the epoch and location of the film. Some of them get mentioned, but they go unexplored. As a result, the film shrinks back from potentially interesting dramatic conflicts. It stays sweet and predictable. It is an enjoyable film, but less than it could have been.
Some of the editing bothered me. I also wondered about the lack of development given the mysterious character who suddenly enters their lives -- it is a glaring omission, given the attention lavished on the ladies. Here lies what was, for me, the central disappointment in the film. Two German speaking young adults have left their countries and come to Cornwall. Who are they really? Why have they left? What is their business in Cornwall? Intriguing possibilities and complications abound, given the epoch and location of the film. Some of them get mentioned, but they go unexplored. As a result, the film shrinks back from potentially interesting dramatic conflicts. It stays sweet and predictable. It is an enjoyable film, but less than it could have been.