I really enjoyed this quaint little film about a widow opening a bookshop in a small East Anglian town against the wishes of the self appointed doyenne of the town.
Emily Mortimer, did an excellent job portraying Florence, the bookshop owner; playing the part with great, yet powerful understatement.
Patricia Clarkson, as the doyenne Violet, does here regular excellent portrayal as the uppity, wealthy and powerful woman trying to dash Florence's dreams.
Bill Nighy, as Edmund, plays the role of a recluse who, over time, befriends and tries to assist the shop owner in her travails with Violet. As usual, he can own a scene without a word, just a subtle eye movement can drive the plot forward and show the depth of his character.
Perhaps the best performance is by 15 year old Honor Kneafsey, as Christine, Florence's young shop assistant. Sharp tongued and wise beyond her years, she proves a perfect foil for all the other characters and is quite central to the entire plot.
I did have one slight quibble. I would have liked to have had the backgrounds of Edmond and Violet fleshed out a bit more; which I feel would have led to a better understanding as to their prior relationship and why they acted the way they did.
That said, if you enjoy British films, take the time to see this one. I would suggest in a theater as the cinematography is quite excellent.
Emily Mortimer, did an excellent job portraying Florence, the bookshop owner; playing the part with great, yet powerful understatement.
Patricia Clarkson, as the doyenne Violet, does here regular excellent portrayal as the uppity, wealthy and powerful woman trying to dash Florence's dreams.
Bill Nighy, as Edmund, plays the role of a recluse who, over time, befriends and tries to assist the shop owner in her travails with Violet. As usual, he can own a scene without a word, just a subtle eye movement can drive the plot forward and show the depth of his character.
Perhaps the best performance is by 15 year old Honor Kneafsey, as Christine, Florence's young shop assistant. Sharp tongued and wise beyond her years, she proves a perfect foil for all the other characters and is quite central to the entire plot.
I did have one slight quibble. I would have liked to have had the backgrounds of Edmond and Violet fleshed out a bit more; which I feel would have led to a better understanding as to their prior relationship and why they acted the way they did.
That said, if you enjoy British films, take the time to see this one. I would suggest in a theater as the cinematography is quite excellent.