Fun, cheerful, kind hearted and unequivocally British; Paddington is a revelation!
Adapted from the Michael Bond books Paddington tells the tale of a grief stricken marmalade addicted Bear who travels from ‘Darkest Peru’ to London in search of a new home and a new family. Despite carefully calculated reservations Paddington is eventually taken in by the Brown family, who in their quest to find Paddington a home with the explorer who brought Marmalade to the jungle, are caught up in the adventure of a life time.
The skill in a family film is to make every generation laugh. They’re looking to force kids into fits of giggles and reduce Mum and Dad into 5 year olds, chuckling to a talking Bear. Paddington is flawless in its subtlety and its ability to weave adult humour into a child’s tale. Wordplay including ‘Dog’s must be carried’ causing Paddington to steal a dog before attempting to travel on the tube may go over some children’s head, but is the very reason this film is so fantastic. I couldn’t help but laugh at everything and rarely have I left the cinema with such a smile on my face and it was difficult not to notice the bursts of laughter from children in the audience throughout. It’s hard to believe a great children’s film could come from the director of The Mighty Boosh; but by bringing the sarcasm and playfulness of British humour that made Mighty Boosh so popular, Paul King has managed to create a masterpiece. In a world saturated with outlandish and loud American comedies, Paddington provides much needed rest bite.
Paddington is a character everyone will fall in love with and is supported by a fantastic cast. The characters contrast one another perfectly. The angst filled teen (Madeleine Harris) with the playful younger brother (Samuel Joslin), the uptight insurance salesman (Hugh Bonneville) and his children’s author wife (Sally Hawkins) combine perfectly with the lovable but clueless bear voiced by Ben Whisaw. And we can’t forget Julie Walters’ brilliant performance as Mrs Bird.
Funny, cuddly and simply brilliant, Paddington is a must see; and though some may call this too much, in my opinion, this should have been nominated for an Oscar and is certainly a BAFTA winner!
Paddington has been nominated for two BAFTAs – Adapted Screenplay & Outstanding British Film
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