Worthy but dull

Couldn't agree more. I couldn't emotionally connect with any of the characters. Not sure if it was the actors, the slow pace of it all or the script. I sat there wondering when it would come to an end. I usually love war movies and people's experiences but this one just lacked something. Very dull. And personally I was getting sick of the main actress' face. Her expression was always the same: A mixture of shock, sadness and utter grief. Even before the war.

She is from Buxton in Derbyshire so I am guessing it was the Derbyshire Dales

I actually enjoyed it but I do see some of the other comments having valid points.


I think that the characters should have a stronger development instead of focusing on Vera being "distracted" so frequently. A moment alone with the parents after both their children had left. A moment where we see Victor being or about to injured (why was he even injured if he wasn't suitable for war?). A moment where Edward thought of Vera or his friend Geoffrey while being in the trenches.

What a relief to find some of these comments. I thought the film was worthy almost in spite of itself - it carried a strong message but the execution seemed somewhat adolescent. I, too, was annoyed by Alicia Vikander, who seemed right for Ex Machina but not strong enough for this. Her trembling emotionalism is starting to grate. I did learn in the commentary (if you think the movie was dull, wait till you hear the commentary) that they had bad luck with the weather throughout the shoot - but I don't know what else the director expected when they were shooting summer scenes (including swimming in the lake) in mid-March in England. Listening to the commentary, the director seemed overly impressed with Vikander and mostly dismissive of the incredibly great talent he had (and mostly wasted) in the rest of the cast, including two of the greatest living British actresses, Miranda Richardson and Emily Watson. All he had to say about them was that they had done a lot of films and he was annoyed with Miranda Richardson's choice in wigs. You could almost surmise that he had a clash or two with Richardson and/or Watson, but I could be completely wrong about that. Other than gushing about Alicia Vikander, most of his comments had to do with weather, sets, and costumes.

It was a mixed bag for me. It was a bit long and slow going. But I guess that was needed, since it was Vera's story and how the War changed and shaped her (among other themes of course). And I think that they didn't do a good job at showing us how much time had passed. You could surmise that from the progresion of the war, but it did feel like it was taking place in the span of a few months, not years.

I didn't really like Vikander in this either. But I thought everyone else was good.

But having said all that, I did connect emotionally to the film. The scope of the tragedy that resulted from WW1 is too great for me not to have. And I liked that the focus was on the people left home, rather than the front. I haven't seen many war films that focus on that side of war.

its a good film but like others have said it could and should have been much better.