Goodbye Christopher Robin

Warm, Funny and Outright Adorable. 

Walking into this film I knew it would be a tear jerker- the trailer itself had made me cry much to my surprise (not much makes me cry) perhaps it was the flash backs of childhood memories of watching Winnie the Pooh or just the beautiful way the trailer was shot, with elements of the glamorous 1920's, flashbacks of war and sweet child-father bonding moments. So I had accepted the fate that I would walk out of the cinema with mascara running down my face and although that did happen I was still pleasantly surprised with the feelings I felt after this film.

Something that touched me in this film was the underlying PTSD of the main character A.A. Mills, it is also present in his editor and friend Ernest but as this was not even discovered back then it was a slightly embarrassing issue, even with his wife saying 'we don't blub in this house' and his friend who also has the condition tells him to get over it in a way at one point. I think they showed this in a very clever subtle yet in your face way which I hope will bring more light to the issue and make it less of a taboo.

Throughout this film I had a sense of nostalgia every time something about Winnie the Pooh was mentioned, a tingle of joy came to me every time I recognised a character I had previously forgotten about or I remembered something they mentioned e.g. the jingle of Winnie the Pooh. These elements had me smiling throughout the whole film giving me a warm feeling inside.

Much to my surprise, this film was extremely funny. A number of times the whole cinema audience laughed in unison at Billy Moon's funny one lines or the awkward yet adorable exchanges between father and son. The mention of my home town also made the audience gasp and giggle, the second half of the film being set in Sussex and a funny nod to Uckfield.

Although laughing in unison isn't the only emotion the whole audience experienced, during some of the sadder scenes you could hear sniffling from all corners of the screen, showing just how much the film effected everyone; there was a variety of age ranges and genders in the screening room and I don't believe there was a dry eye in the room at one point- I saw the teenage boy in the row in front of me wipe his eyes. 

The visuals in this film were not only beautiful but also inspiring, the first half featuring glamour and parties and the second half featuring woodlands and autumnal colours. Enough to make anyone leave the city for the country. 

This film gave me a mix of emotions, many that I was not expecting. I believe this film, although only out a few weeks, is a hidden gem and as soon as I left the cinema I wanted to watch it all over again. Would highly recommend. 

Tilly-Mae Holland x