EIFF 2015 – Review: Under Milk Wood

27th July 2015

This 2015 version of Under Milk Wood with Rhys Ifans taking on both the role of the narrator and Captain Cat is in a word captivating.

Under Milk Wood is the epic Welsh play for voices about the inhabitants of a small Welsh village by Dylan Thomas and the version by which most know this play is the 1963 one narrated by Richard Burton for radio.
There was also a screen adaptation starring Richard Burton, Elizabeth Taylor and Peter O’Toole. Although, no easy shoes to fill Rhys Ifans takes the helm of Captain Cat that was played in the original film version by Peter O’Toole and succeeds in placing his own mark on it. Rhys Ifans brings a magic to the role of narrator and the technicolor brilliance of the cinematography does provide a wonderful treat for the eyes and ears.

Whenever there is mention of Under Milk Wood, one’s mind is swept back to childhood and listening to the radio with a cup of tea. Why mess with greatness is what I thought when I saw a new version of the film had been made. Yet, I was enthralled watching to Dylan’s play brought to life in 2015 especially as the camera swept through the the villagers houses. Even for the die-hard radio devotees, Ifans does a stellar job on screen. This for me is his best performance to date. Hopefully, this role will mark a turning point from the the drifter, hippy roles that he frequently played in the past.

Under Milk Wood was shown at The Edinburgh International Film Festival and will on general release in late 2015.

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