Biopic on early years of legendary fantasy writer
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Caribbean L BQ ife, May 10–16, 2019 47
By Kam Williams
J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)
was a British fantasy novelist
best known for “The Hobbit”
and “The Lord of the Rings.”
After being orphaned at an
early age, he attended King
Edwards, an exclusive boarding
school where he forged
close friendships with classmates
which would endure
over his lifetime.
There, he first referred to
this semi-secret association
of writers and artists as a
“fellowship,” a term which
ostensibly influenced the
unique lexicon of his fictional
work. He was also very
sensitive about the pronunciation
of his surname to
the extent that he even complained
about it to the school
administration, emphasizing
that it was “een” as opposed
to “in.”
While at King Edwards, he
met and fell head over heels
for Edith Bratt (Lily Collins),
an attractive classmate who
would not only serve as his
muse but as the inspiration
for a couple of his characters.
The lovebirds wed in 1916 but
unfortunately their marital
bliss would soon be interrupted
by his deployment to
France in World World I.
Unfortunately, the separation
from his wife exacted a
further emotional toll on the
already traumatized Tolkien.
Sadly, it spelled the demise
of his confederacy of dunces,
too.D
irected by Dome Karukoski,
“Tolkien” is a poignant
portrait which reveals its
subject to be quite a complicated
soul. The title role is
capably played by Nicholas
Hoult who delivers a piercingly
evocative performance,
probing the depths of the literary
giant’s psyche in plausible
fashion.
The ethereal plotline drifts
back and forth between the
sobering and the surreal,
unfolding against a war torn
landscape of dire proportions.
Childhood angst plus
wartime trauma yields escapist
fantasies for the ages.
“Tolkien”
Excellent (4 stars)
Rated PG-13 for war
violence
Running time: 112
minutes
Production Companies:
Fox Searchlight
Pictures / Chernin
Entertainment
Distributor: Fox
Searchlight Pictures
/ Walt Disney Studios
Motion Pictures
Adam Darlington in “Tolkien” (2019). https://m.media-amazon.com/
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