Reviews

This story of the meeting of lonely and sad people is a gentle, moving and warming tale that I think both older (8+ ?) children and adults will appreciate. The cast generally give a good performance and gel well - you can really feel the changing relationships as the story plays out. Luke Ward-Wilkinson does rather well and is very likable - he does not annoy like many child actors. Berenger also portrays Mr Toomey in a very believable way.

The cinematography is nice in many places, especially the idealistic scenes of the country village. The outside of the Toomey house looks very much like a studio set, shot from the immediate front, but this somehow adds to the overall feeling of separation and is in no way a problem. Aside from the issue of death, there are no disturbing scenes, "colourful" language, or issues not suitable for youngsters and this makes for a very enjoyable, slow paced, experience.

The film starts and ends in a Christmas setting, the remainder being time between, and so would suit a festive, wintery viewing with the whole family. The film does make you appreciate the ones you love and want to give them a hug.

It would be nice to know "what happens next" but maybe that is part of the appeal of the story - following the journey up to a point, then leaving the characters with their new start.