By Michelle Lerner
Just give me a good love story, English accents, costumes and a cup of tea, and I’m done for the night. MISS POTTER, which has all of these, fits the bill perfectly.
The plot doesn’t make you try too hard to understand what’s going on. Instead, the film gently tugs you along, like a soft ocean current, through Victorian parlors, lovely old train stations and the beautiful English countryside known as the Lake District. Before you know it, you are sucked in to the pretty, true-life story of the author Beatrix Potter. It’s the kind of film you want to catch on a cold evening when there is nothing else on; the kind of film that surprises you. “It’s much better then I thought it would be,” you’ll say to yourself.
Beatrix Potter is deserving of a biopic because she wrote and illustrated “The Tale of Peter Rabbit,” one of the greatest children’s books of all time. And, it is lovely that the story of the publishing of the book is also a love story. After many rejections, Potter sells the book to the Warne Brothers' publishing house. They agree to publish it only so that they can give their silly younger brother, Norman, something to do. Voila!
The love story ends tragically — as it should, and actually did. However, the realistic scenes are interspersed with animated versions of her characters springing to life, which are annoying and false. As Beatrix draws in her turret, she talks to these animated creatures. I know the director is trying to tell us that the characters were alive to Beatrix, but it comes off as very hokey. Chris Noonan, the director, also directed BABE, so I guess that is where that came from. Otherwise, his direction is nice; no big tricks or flashy shots — just the silly little animals.
The acting is generally very good. Ewan McGregor is one of the most gifted male romantic leads working in films these days. He can play masculine and harsh, but he fits the proper needs of a Victorian love story perfectly; he is humble, sweet and glows in devotion and admiration for his love, Beatrix. His presence warms the film.
Emily Watson, as his feminist sister Millie, also shines. For a moment, you might believe she and Beatrix will run away together, and truly, I wouldn’t blame Beatrix. Watson plays the strong, opinionated Millie so well. Though, she does keep referring to how unattractive she is, which is hilarious, because she is SO attractive.
Once you get past Renee Zellweger’s mincing acting style and grimacing smile, you may find yourself charmed. At the beginning of the movie, though, she drove me nuts; there is something about Americans doing English accents that almost always makes me cringe (though Gwyneth Paltrow did a great job in EMMA). But, then she does that Renee Zellweger thing (and she should bottle it, because I can’t tell how she does it) and wins you over, despite her twitchy performance and constant half-smile. I give the credit for this to McGregor. The fact that Beatrix has the good sense to fall in love with Norman makes her likable.
The end of the film loses its way a bit. After losing her love, Beatrix moves to the Lake District, where she found her inspiration as a child. There, she lives a very long and productive life. She goes on to write lots of children’s books and make loads of money, thereby guaranteeing that she can live outside the confines of the expectations of her family and society. An early conservationist, she buys lots of old farms and makes sure they stay as they were forever.
This film, while not a classic, like “Peter Rabbit,” is an enjoyable way to kill a couple of hours. Although, I have to admit, I wouldn’t go out of my way to see it.