The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society *** (2018, Lily James, Michiel Huisman, Matthew Goode, Penelope Wilton) – Movie Review

Despite its faults, Mike Newell’s picturesque period romantic drama, set in the aftermath of World War Two, is compelling and its accompanying mystery is intriguing. It comes from the producers of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and will no doubt appeal to all its fans.

Lily James stars as writer Juliet, who in 1946 decides to write about the book club held on the island of Guernsey while under German occupation in the Second World War.

Spurred by a correspondence about books with one of the islanders, Dawsey Adams (Dutch actor Michiel Huisman), she goes to visit the island and soon strikes up a bond with him and the island’s other eccentric Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society members, and tries to fathom the mysteries behind their story.

She then has to juggle her new growing friendship with the dashingly handsome Dawsey, with the long-distance demands of her new keen but brash American fiancé Mark Reynolds (Glen Powell) and her surprisingly nice and charming publisher Sidney Stark (Matthew Goode). The Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society members include the very grumpy and guarded old Amelia Maugery (Penelope Wilton), the cheery old postman Eben Ramsey (Tom Courtenay), his eager-beaver grandson Eli (Kit Connor) and plain lonely spinster Elizabeth McKenna (Jessica Brown Findlay).

All of the characters are from the script-writing book in the chapters marked ‘stock characters’ and ‘stereotypes’ but fortunately the actors are good enough to be able to disguise this and make their stereotypes involving and even charming. Now that is a good trick, so well done guys! Indeed it is director Mike Newell’s job, or at least one of them, also to disguise the stock situations and stereotypes he has to work with, and it is a tribute o this veteran that, by and large, he does.

Lily James stars as writer Juliet in The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

A film about books ought to have better written characters, you might think, but no matter. Incidentally, why are the movies making films about reading? Just before the film, the trailer of Book Club was screened. A film about four old ladies, their monthly book club, and reading 50 Shades of Grey! If we wanted to read a book, we wouldn’t be in the cinema, would we? Or is it that films are telling us ‘it’s all about the story’?  Back to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which turns out to have quite a good story to tell, once it kicks in it is strong and distinctive. It unravels satisfyingly, bit by bit, as the layers peel off, like a Miss Marple mystery.

The film gets off to a bit of a sticky start with bad but dozy Germans harassing adorable eccentric islands, as the society of the title is suddenly formed. Dangerously, we are in Whisky Galore territory, twee and silly. And I mean the shaky 2016 remake of Whisky Galore not the original Ealing classic Whisky Galore. What is it about islanders? Why are they all charming eccentrics?

It takes its time with the islanders, then takes its time establishing the heroine and the three men in her life, and then finally, the plot kicks in and the film gets a lot less twee and silly, picks up a bit of pace, and gets intriguing and involving. I’m really not one for the war, Nazis, and English nostalgia, but it won me over. I have to confess I was ready to take against the writer Juliet, so is so darned perfect. She is pretty, intelligent, and of course a great writer.

Lily James manages to pull you over onto Juliet’s side with her brisk, no-nonsense, super-capable charm, and make you like and admire her. It’s a very good act. Juliet is a very modern young woman, quite capable of standing up to any man, and you’d think perfectly fine on her own. But, it turns out, Juliet is just looking for her Romeo. And Romeo has to be dashingly handsome of course. So she’s not a very modern young woman, after all.

Powell has a tricky, unsympathetic role as the Yank, but he does it well, bringing a little edge, Goode gives his usual good performance, Courtenay plays the old codger as required I guess, and Wilton is outstanding in a role with real hurt, edge and damage, making this the most ‘real’ character in the film, superseding her stereotype.

Despite its faults – it’s a bit twee, it’s a bit slow – Mike Newell’s picturesque period romantic drama, set in the aftermath of World War Two, is compelling and its accompanying mystery is intriguing. It comes from the producers of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and will no doubt appeal to all its fans of older nostalgically and romantically inclined viewers.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Movie Review

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