Miss Potter

Synopsis: It is 1902 and the 36-year old Beatrix Potter (Renée Zellweger) is looking for a publisher for her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. She eventually meets Norman Warne (Ewan McGregor) her editor who collaborates with her on this and subsequent works and the pair fall in love.

There is nothing new in Chris Noonan's picture-perfect portrait of famous children's writer and illustrator, Beatrix Potter, but it is an intelligent, finely crafted film with a satisfyingly old-fashioned glow. The screenplay by Richard E. Maltby Jr is less concerned with the details of Potter's life than in creating a seamless against-the-odds type of narrative. In the world of late Victorian London Potter thus becomes a kind of feminist avant la lettre, overcoming her parents' strait-laced conservatism, endemic patriarchalism and, ultimately, personal tragedy in her journey to a suitably happy ending. Noonan's handling of this material is never less than perfectly judged, using the conventions of character and behaviour appropriate to the story but never pushing them into the cloying. The performances are excellent across the board with Zellweger, McGregor, Emily Watson and a strong supporting cast all convincing whilst the cinematography, costume and production design are superb.

In some respects Miss Potter is an oddly pitched film. With its dewy-eyed depiction of Potter's life it is almost too childlike for an adult audience, yet as it is largely concerned with an adult world there is little in it for children, at least those of an age for whom Potter wrote. As a re-creation of a way of life long gone and a quietly inspiring story of personal strength however, it has much to recommend it

 

 

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