Plot
An aspiring poet in 1950s New York has his ordered world shaken when he embarks on a week-long retreat to save his hell raising hero, Dylan Thomas.
Release Year: 2014
Rating: 6.0/10 (541 voted)
Critic's Score: /100
Director: Andy Goddard
Stars: Elijah Wood, Celyn Jones, Kelly Reilly
Storyline
An aspiring poet in 1950s New York has his ordered world shaken when he embarks on a week-long retreat to save his hell raising hero, Dylan Thomas.
Writers: Andy Goddard, Celyn Jones
Cast: Elijah Wood -
John M. Brinnin
Celyn Jones -
Dylan Thomas
Kelly Reilly -
Caitlin
Steven Mackintosh -
Jack
Shirley Henderson -
Shirley
Kevin Eldon -
Stanley
Steve Speirs -
Richard Brake -
Mr. Unlucky
Andrew Bicknell -
Kate Drew -
Ken Drury -
Nicola Duffett -
Weston Gavin -
Yale Provost
Adam Gillen -
Polly Hemingway -
Trivia:
Based in part on 'Dylan Thomas in America' by John Malcolm Brinnen (portrayed in the film by Elijah Wood). See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 10/10
A black and white two hander some what similar in concept to
Christopher Munch's Lennon/Epstein double header "The Hours and Times"
or Simon Curtis' more recent "My week with Marilyn" Set Fire to the
Stars shows us a semi-fictionalised account of a few days in the lives
of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (Celyn Jones) and the literary professor
John Brinnin (Elijah Wood) who brings him to perform in New York. A
raging alcoholic Dylan Thomas leaves behind a trial of destruction
while also teaching Brinnin that poetry is about more than technique
but about feeling and living and being.
Early reviews cited some disappointment that this film wasn't more in
the spirit of Withnail and I. The link is understandable as a large
section of the film features two opposing personalities (one of whom
clearly struggles with drink) spending time together in a remote cabin
but the comparison is a little lazy. Though at times laugh out loud
funny this is a long way from some Brit-com romp and is instead a
thoughtful and thought provoking piece on the difference between the
academic and the artist.
Celyn Jones' performance as Dylan Thomas is perfectly pitched. It would
have been easy for him to have slipped into caricature but he makes
Thomas real and presents us with a man who is clearly troubled but who
is also brimming full with warmth and passion. As is clear from the
poet's work he was all too aware of the fleeting nature of life and
Jones shows that. His Thomas doesn't want to waste a moment (often to
the detriment of those around him). He is also aware of his gift with
words but unlike the academics he meets doesn't want to look too
closely at why his poetry works in case through knowing he loses it
all.
While Thomas is about the magic of the words (demonstrated best by the
look of pure joy when horror writer Shirley Jackson finishes her tale)
Elijah Wood's Brinnin is about wanting to know why those words were
chosen in the first place. There is a moment when Brinnin asks one too
many questions about poetical technique and Thomas/Jones goes from
laughter to a face twisted with rage in an instant. His Dylan is a wild
beast who you do not want to rile. For me the best scene in the film is
when he tires of the masters from the Ivy League Universities and
decides to prick their pomposity with a few well delivered limericks.
Jones shows us not just a drunk at a table but an artist all too aware
he is about to press the self destruct button. We also see in Jones'
performance the regrets and fears that Dylan had to live with because
of his behaviour as well as the understanding of the power his words
carried. "Tell him Dylan Thomas thinks he's great" he suggest to
Brinnin when reviewing the work of one of his students; knowing that
sometimes less really is more.
The success of Lord of the Rings has clearly given Wood the freedom to
pick roles that interest him and John Malcolm Brinnin is no exception.
His performance is subtle but with the massiveness of Thomas next to
him it needs to be. It would have been easy for Brinnin to simply be
the straight man, the academic clearly out of his depth and picking up
the pieces left in Thomas' wake but the character goes deeper than
that. Wood's Brinnin isn't just hanging on for the ride, he is very
much part of it and his character develops throughout. He goes from
wanting to protect his career to protecting his friend.
The acting across the board is of a particularly high class. Shirley
Henderson and Kelly Reilly (who emerges nymph like from Dylan's self
consciousness) have been singled out by many for praise but mention
should also be made of Kevin Eldon as Shirley's cuckolded husband
Stanley, Steven Mackintosh as Brinnin's boss Jack and an exceptional
turn from Richard Brake as the mysterious "Mr Unlucky." The script
written by Jones and Goddard is based upon Brinnin's 1957 "Dylan Thomas
in America" but the film actually covers no more that the first 30
pages of 300. The critically lauded scene of the meeting with Shirley
Jackson for example is one brief paragraph. The integral letter from
Thomas' wife Caitlin mentioned in no more than a couple of sentences.
Drunken exploits are referred to in Brinnin's book but never expanded
upon. It is remarkable that so much of the script is fiction because it
flows and feels so true. The script is clever, witty and moving. The
quality of the acting obviously helps but those words have got to come
from somewhere.
Visually as well the film is stunning. It is a snapshot of a moment of
Thomas' life and the cinematography reflects that; capturing beautiful
moments in crisp black and white. There is a wonderful overhead shot of
Dylan in the bath, fully clothed and surrounded by floating candy
wrappers. Comedy and tragedy there for all to see. Accompanying the
images is Gruff Rhys gorgeous soundtrack, a new breed of Welsh poet.
There are other reasons to admire and love this film. Viewers should
know that it was shot in less than two weeks by a crew for many of whom
this was their debut feature film. You should know that this was filmed
entirely on location in Swansea, Wales with a few carefully placed fire
hydrants creating the illusion of New York. That none of these things
are apparent from what is on the screen is just another reason to be
stunned by what has been achieved.
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