Miss Potter

It has been a while since a film has moved me to tears let alone inspire me to write but Miss Potter starring Renee Zellweger and Ewan McGregor accomplished both. I didn't quite know what to expected when I put the DVD in but what I got was a sweet film about a woman making her way in the world whether society liked it or not. The overall story was simple and delicate. I'm sure some people found it slow and uneventful but there was a certain magic to it. I liked the subtlety it had.

The pairing of McGregor and Zellweger was good although not as good as their previous Down with Love. Although their roles were so different I found myself forgetting they had been in Down with Love together and caught myself thinking why haven't they been in a movie together? That's when I remembered Down with Love and now that I think about it they played similar roles in Down with Love - how utterly bizarre. I like them together but I think McGregor's character held him back a bit. He seemed very constrained which worked well to portray his character but hampered the on screen chemistry. Their last meeting at the train station shows their passionate love but because it had been downplayed I quite shocked myself with needed to grab a box of Kleenex when he died. I was a right mess and I think it was the subtlety of the film that got to me.

Of course after that it was strange how they continued the film. I felt a bit of a disconnect from the first half and into the second half maybe because what was driving the film forward was Miss Potter's stand up against society than her actual work. The plot doesn't hold up well against close scrutiny but that doesn't taint my enjoyment any. The special effects which seems a little odd for a period drama worked well. Potter's pictures coming alive reminded me of my childhood and I have the image of straining tea from The World of Peter Rabbit and Friends that my grandma taped for me. The filmed recalled some nostalgia for me of not only my childhood but of my time in England. Seeing the beautiful Lake District landscapes makes me want to go back.

I main problem I have with the film is the way they portrayed Potter when she was writing. Going off of this film I would of thought Potter was a complete nutter! Seeing her pictures move and talking to them. It certainty wasn't helping her case in not wanting to get married in a time when it was expected. Other than that I think the film was subtle and sweet and perhaps a bit predictable but enjoyable all the same.