The Winslow Boy 1999
I borrowed this movie based on strong reviews and the fact that it was written and directed by David Mamet, who got a lot of acclaim as a screenwriter in the 1980’s and 90’s. Other than the quick summary, I didn’t know much else about the movie. It is set in London before World War I, the same time period that Downton Abby and other period films have mined with great success. This movie does the same, with great period detail and wardrobe. Although the movie is about a boy who has been expelled from a Royal Navy high school, it mostly centers on his older sister, played by Mamet’s real-life wife, Rebecca Pidgeon. She doesn’t always nail her line readings and I didn’t remember her being British (but her parents were and she spent some time growing up in the UK), but she looks great, projecting confidence and intelligence, and causing every man’s heart to melt with one furtive glance. It is barely a romance movie and barely a courtroom drama, maybe more of a family drama than anything. It is still a nice journey and there are some very good performances by Nigel Hawthorne as the family patriarch, and an entirely too dashing Jeremy Northam as the best attorney money can buy. It isn’t hard hitting and there are there are few big dramatic scenes, but it is still a pleasure to watch.
Written: 09 Sep 2022