Worth: $18.00
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Cast:
Jim Broadbent, Penelope Wilton, Earl Cave
Intro:
… despite its small canvas, it does draw us into very complex human territory.
The concept of a pilgrimage is, of course, a very old one. Pilgrims must journey to a destination, and in doing so, enact both penance and interact with ordinary folk along the way. Both of these elements apply in this bittersweet comedy from British director Hettie Macdonald.
The eponymous Harold is played by Jim Broadbent who, along with Bill Nighy, is THE British character actor of the last few decades. Without appearing to try, Broadbent always persuades us of the realness of his creations. Opposite Harold is his wife Maureen, played by Penelope Wilton (Downton Abbey, The Second Best Marigold Hotel), an equally solid performer.
Harold and Maureen have been married for decades. They live in a tidy cottage in Devon. Their life is settled, perhaps too settled, and that is sort of the problem. They have become becalmed. Not that Harold appears to notice (well, he is only a man). He was once a manager in a brewery and by all accounts, as decent as a boss as he is as a man. One day, he has a conversation with a random blue-haired young woman in a garage shop. She says something to him that sets him off on his unlikely pilgrimage.
It is the oddest and mildest of inciting incidents, but that too is in line with the film. Not that it is all safe and twee, the film actually ‘goes there’ in terms of family trauma. One of the strengths of the film, apart from the rock solid perfs, are the glimpses of nature in rural England. Some of this is filmed in an unfussy but very strategic way and reminds us that the English countryside can indeed be a restorative place of grace and beauty.
It would be easy to see the film as a bit thin, but despite its small canvas, it does draw us into very complex human territory. You may well find yourself suddenly surprised by the depth of emotion it is able to stir up. Keep a tissue handy, there is no shame in having a little sniffle.
