Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageThe Winslow Boy (1998)
Director: David Mamet
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Previously filmed by Anthony Asquith in 1948, Terence Rattigan's play - about the trials and tribulations of an upper middle class Edwardian family determined to clear the name of a young son expelled from Naval Academy for stealing a postal order - isn't the kind of material you'd expect David Mamet to adapt and direct. That said, it's an elegant, engrossing film and surprisingly faithful. It could, of course, be seen as just another costume drama, but Mamet's decision not to open it out - it almost all takes place within the confines of the Winslow household - is wise. Kept offscreen, the unquestioning adherence to the status quo of the naval and political establishments is as frustratingly vague and intractable as it is for the family, just as the media fuss about their predicament is seen literally to hem it in. Mamet never tips the balance. Young Ronnie's innocence remains open to question, his father's fight is as much a matter of stubborn pride as a petition for justice, and the economic and human cost of his quest is all too evident. As ever with such films, much rests on the performances, and Northam (as barrister Sir Robert Morton), Jones (Grace Winslow), and Rebecca and Matthew Pidgeon (as the suffragette daughter and feckless elder son) do the play proud. Again, however, Nigel Hawthorne steals the laurels, his understatement investing the driven patriarch with complexity and emotional depth.Author: GA
Cast & crew
Director: David Mamet
Producer: Sarah Green
Cast: Nigel Hawthorne, Jeremy Northam, Rebecca Pidgeon, Gemma Jones, Matthew Pidgeon, Lana Bilzerian, Sarah Flind, Aden Gillett full cast
Duration: 104 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
The first-time director of the brilliant new thriller discusses religious cults and robot boxing
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing
What do you think?
Post your review now