Review of An Awfully Big Adventure (1995) by Paul N — 29 Mar 2009
A dark, caustic and not terribly affectionate look behind the English theatre world of the late 1940s, viewed through the starry eyes of a young girl who is adopted, abused, liberated and shattered by her experiences, all in equal measure.
The girl (Georgina Cates) is excellent, Alan Rickman is customarily brilliant as a doyen of the stage, Hugh Grant is bizarre but effective as their emotionally abusive director and Peter Firth is a delight as his long-suffering offsider.
The film is wonderfully detailed, evocative of time and place, and powerfully illustrates the undercurrent of genuine emotion (some may say mental illness) beneath these odd theatrical folk. There's also a secondary plot element going on here which is both shocking and curious.
.. though one wonders why the writers went that way. A jolly old time won't be found here; this is a much harsher film than it looks, and more power to it.
This review of An Awfully Big Adventure (1995) was written by Paul N on 29 Mar 2009.
An Awfully Big Adventure has generally received mixed reviews.
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