Review: Goodbye Christopher Robin

When you think of films about the creation of famous books, you instantly think of films like Finding Neverland and Saving Mr. Banks which are both fantastic.

Also, when you read about what this film is about and what the trailer suggests, you do expect it be a pleasant and charming viewing.

I expect that also. But like the two comparisons, there needs to be a dark or sad tale to tell during the process of the main creation for it to possibly be exceptional.

Well in terms of content, it is what I hoped it would be. There were moments that surprised me as to how certain things were created within the popular novels. I also found great moments in the second act that explore things that are very topical in today's not just society, but movie industry as well.
But the aftermath from that I felt were not as well executed as the rest of the film. You get the message and the feel for the characters up to a point. But it is by no means the tear-jerker it is trying to be in the finale

Domnhall Gleeson was on the whole fairly good. But there were moments that came across as too robotic, despite his characters mannerisms being fairly rigid anyway. But I really liked his character development and it gave his character an impressive story arch.
It was great seeing Margot Robbie in a film like this. Her face fitted perfectly to the period and I can see her to many more movies from this era. As for her character, I always unsure of her decisions on certain things. Some bits were very sweet to watch. But other bits were just confusing and never fully explained.
Will Tilston was nothing short of fantastic as the real life Christopher Robin. You can see and feel the sweet innocence in his performance throughout and you just don't want his character to grow up at all.
As well as Gleeson, there is a surprising amount of characters from the Harry Potter franchise. Kelly Macdonald was almost as much of a standout as Tilston. Her strong and sweet presence as well as her chemistry with the young actor was pleasing to watch and you could feel a strong and genuine connection between the two characters.
Also, Geraldine Somerville has a minor role as a tenacious reporter.

A lot of the technical aspects are very well crafted. The settings are gorgeous and the cinematography just enhances the films setting so beautifully.
I liked the use of visual effect. The mix of CGI that looked like book illustrations and live-action that made it look like the books coming to life.

While I did feel disappointed with some parts, I found the whole thing to be lovingly charming and quite profound on the surface. Tilston's performance was the most important cog at keeping my interest moving along. One thing's for sure, I will certainly look at the Winnie The Pooh as more profound then I initially thought.
I think if there was a better execution of the dark side of this story, it would have left a bigger impact and pull at the heart strings with genuine effect. Instead of being perfectly fine viewing, with room for improvement.

Rating: 7/10