He directed the 4th episode of the Harry Potter saga (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Four Weddings and a Funeral. Mike Newell is back this time with a feature film halfway between romantic comedy and historical drama. The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society is the poignant account of the German occupation as seen by the inhabitants of a small Channel Island.
After seeing the film, here's what we thought !
The mysterious literary circle of Guernsey
Adapted from the bestselling novel of the same name (written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrow), this film takes us back in time and takes us directly back to 1946, shortly after the Second World War. It features Juliet Ashton, a British author and journalist lacking inspiration.
One day, the young woman receives a letter from a man who claims to be a member of a mysterious book club: the famous Literary Circle of Potato Peel Lovers ! Curious to know more about the people described there, people marked by the occupation, Juliet decides on a whim to meet them.
Although these singular characters appear to have nothing in common, the war found a way (thanks to the book club) to bring them together and make them a close-knit family. Only, a dark mystery hangs over the group. A mystery that has not only turned their lives upside down, but will also upset Juliet's.
Endearing characters
If the budding love story between Juliet and Dawsey (member of the reading circle at the origin of the letter that Juliet received) did not surprise us in the least, it is quickly relayed in the background by the main plot of the film. It is indeed the increasingly important discoveries of the heroine that will arouse a real interest among the spectator!
But for us, what struck us the most during the viewing of the film is the ease with which we attach ourselves to the characters ! Carried by a slew of actors all as talented as each other (including the rising star of English cinema Lily James in the role of Juliet Ashton, Michiel Huisman in that of Dawsey, Penelope Wilton for Amelia, Jessica Brown as Elizabeth McKenna, Katherine Parkinson as Isola, Tom Courtenay as Eben or Matthew Goode as Sidney Stark…), Throughout the film, they reveal unique personalities that make their story touching and authentic.
Details that make the difference
Also participating in our enthusiasm for the film: the sets (often with a detail evoking the passage of the war: barbed wire, observation towers, flashbacks of ruined buildings …) and costumes (hand-sewn after period models) taking us on a journey to a post-war period.
And if the war (and especially the two World Wars) is a recurring subject in the world of cinema, The Guernsey Literary Circle is unique. It is not only a historical film, there are also some touches of modernity !
So, do you want to lift the veil on the mysterious secret of the literary circle of Guernsey? You will have to wait a few more days before you can watch this masterpiece at the cinema. Theatrical release scheduled for June 13th!
