A film from a kinder world

A simply wonderful piece of filmmaking, a gentle, slow-moving piece about the long-distance relationship between an American would-be writer and an English bookseller, as revealed through the personal asides attached to their business correspondence and which developed into a full blown pen-friendship over some 20 years immediately following the War.

It?s a remarkably engaging film, given that in fact nothing really happens ? just a simple tale of ordinary, rather nice people, with the highly restrained, somewhat introverted Londoners very well contrasted with the brasher, louder, more extrovert New Yorkers.

The film has a fine feel for period, being especially good at evoking the austerity of a still-rationed post war London, and the cast is, quite simply, wonderful. Hopkins, in particular, is just so marvellous to watch ? his acting is just so, well, thoughtful. You always know, from a look, from a gesture, what his character?s innermost thoughts are. Just watch (and re-watch!) the scene where he receives a letter with disappointing news, and imparts the news to his secretary. His acting is so understated, so natural, and yet he manages to fully convey the complex series of emotions that letter?s invoked, all of it coming from within character.

The story is based on real events. Sadly, the protagonists are dead now, and the musty antiquarian book shop, redolent of literature, of learning and of more thoughtful and introspective times is also long gone. The site, I believe, subsequently become a record store, and is now some sort of brassy, trashy, wine bar. How times change?.

Apparently this was something of a vanity piece in that Mel Brooks bought the rights to the book as a present for his wife, (Anne Bancroft), who of course took the leading role herself. But if it is a vanity piece, then it?s certainly one of which everybody involved should be very, very proud.