annlevtex I confess I watched this movie for the actors, particularly Jessica Brown-FIndlay and Tom Wilkinson. I know Andrew Scott from "Sherlock", of which I am not a particular fan, but he is a fine actor. Jeremy Irvine? I've only ever seen him in "War Horse." As it happens his character kind of throws a wrench into the film for me, not due to his performance which is winning enough, but because I found it unnecessary. As someone else said, I kind of wanted the Scott character to "get the girl" and I think that would have been a nice twist? But no matter, the JBF/Wilkinson/Scott triad forms a nice solid core to the film in the end. Is the movie a little twee? Yes, but I expected that and I don't think it pretends to be otherwise. But even within the short 90-minute time frame, the characters develop enough to be nuanced and balanced. Wilkinson's acerbic Alfie softens, JBF's mousy Bella bristles and Scott's Vernon mans up. The central gardening/nature metaphor works really beautifully (sorry), inspiring both the score and cinematography which are lovely. The scene where Bella first sees Alfie's garden is particularly charming.Maybe it's because I happen to be dealing with a big gardening challenge of my own right now, but I was actually moved by this film in the end. I'd say it takes itself just seriously enough, and the warm, understated performances and specific chemistry make it a good watch.

p-seed-889-188469 A strange little movie this but it will no doubt appeal to lovers of the "British Gem" movie genre. Personally I find "British Gem" the 2 most feared words in the English language (or possibly first equal with "Human Resources") but evidently enough movie goers find them appealing enough for the British to keep churning them out. That's fine with me as long as I am warned in the movie's promotional material so I can do something more enjoyable, like plunge my hand into a vat of boiling oil.Some reviewers have compared this movie to Amelie but I wouldn't agree. While the first few minutes of the movie attempts to give some bizarre back story to explain how eccentric the heroine (Bella) supposedly is, for the duration of the movie itself she acts completely normally, apart from a touch of OCD. Her apparent need to be orderly certainly plays no part in the story, in fact it is completely contradictory to the way she lives, with her garden in chaos, which is somewhat confusing. Amelie was strong and always in control and her quirkiness was pivotal to that movie. Bella is never in control and she is not inherently quirky, she is just lost, unfulfilled and drifting. However it is true that both movies rely on the appeal of an attractive actress who has a certain quality that one would be hard pressed to accurately define - perhaps "instantly lovable" is somewhere near.As others have noted the "plot" is completely predictable and the "characters" are all the usual suspects for this kind of movie. It is all a bit of fluff and I doubt it will be challenging "War and Peace" for a place in World literature any time soon.For all that I enjoyed this movie more than I expected and this is entirely down to the actors, who generally handled their fairly thankless and undemanding roles with subtlety. In the wrong hands this movie could very easily have tipped the scales from just teetering on the edge of working into something horrific, and it is a credit to the cast that they pitched it just right.I saw this movie with a group and the comments ranged from "the worst movie I have ever seen in my life" to "quaint" and "exquisite". My view is somewhere in between.

phd_travel Pleasant is the word that comes to mind. It isn't magic realism even though it seems to start that way.Jessica Findlay is a little too pretty to be what she is but she is a pleasure to watch even with the frumpy clothes and hair. Jeremy Irvine plays the nerd quite well.The little romantic drama at the end is contrived but neat.The neighborly relationships and eccentric characters bring to mind the Jack Nicholson movie "As Good as it Gets".The ending is feel good wish fulfillment and leaves a pleasant aftertaste.This movie isn't laugh out loud funny - it could have been funnier but that's part of it's understated charm.

trinaboice Grade: BRating: PG, 1 hour 32 minutesIn a Nutshell: Garden metaphors about life and friendship grow as this quirky "modern fairy tale" develops in this limited release. Uplifting theme: "Today I'm going to make a difference." – Bella Brown (Jessica Brown Findlay) Responsibility Friendship Everything that matters takes time." – Alfie Stephenson (Tom Wilkinson)Things I liked: I loved the magical score throughout the film. Jessica Brown Findlay does a great job as the odd protagonist who has a Keira Knightly quality about her. The Nazi librarian, her signs, and her garden name (Bramble) were hilarious, played by Anna Chancellor. Andrew Scott was entertaining as Vernon. You're probably going to want to go outside and work in your garden or create one. Luna was lovely. I loved the last scene. Clever, witty dialogue.Things I didn't like: So, the title….ummm As a landlord, I wasn't amused by Bella's lack of interest in taking care of the property she was renting. As a former employer, I also wasn't amused by how Bella was shocked about being fired after showing up late for work every day. Pretty predictable.Funny lines: "I'm not a religious man, but I believe someone sent her here to test us." – Alfie "Don't worry, tea is on its way." – Milly (Eileen Davies) Such a British thing to say. "Slavery was abolished in 1834, just so you know." – Vernon (Andrew Scott) "This country has been going down the drain ever since." – Alfie "I was just trying to tidy up a bit." – Bella "I think that's what Hitler said about Europe." – Alfie "I'm speechless." – Bella "If only that were true." – AlfieInteresting lines: "You should doubt only a man who changes his story. I only repeat myself in vague hope that one day somebody will actually hear me." – Alfie "Look! These monkwoods, so beautiful and poisonous they'll kill a man. That's an interesting contradiction, isn't it?" – Alfie Tips for parents: Most kids will be pretty bored. Clean languageMOVIE REVIEW MOM@trinaboice