Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Nicholas Hoult | ... | J.R.R. Tolkien | |
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Al Bollands | ... | First Soldier |
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Kallum Tolkien | ... | Second Soldier |
Craig Roberts | ... | Private Sam Hodges | |
Harry Gilby | ... | J.R.R. Tolkien (Young) | |
Colm Meaney | ... | Father Francis | |
Laura Donnelly | ... | Mabel Tolkien | |
Guillermo Bedward | ... | Hilary Tolkien (Young) | |
Nia Gwynne | ... | Bronwen | |
Pam Ferris | ... | Mrs. Faulkner | |
Adrian Schiller | ... | English Master | |
Albie Marber | ... | Robert Gilson (Young) | |
Ty Tennant | ... | Christopher Wiseman (Young) | |
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Adam Bregman | ... | Geoffrey Smith (Young) |
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Tony Nash | ... | Mackintosh |
Tolkien explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school. This takes him into the outbreak of World War I, which threatens to tear the "fellowship" apart. All of these experiences would inspire Tolkien to write his famous Middle-Earth novels. Written by Fox Searchlight Pictures
The story and the excellent cinematography alone make for agood film. For some reason they forced in elements that had the effect of pandering to the weak minded. The film would have been much improved if these elements were left out.
It's enough to see a fellowship develop in the prep school and the visual scenes of WWI without CG of dragon silhouettes and ghosts in gas clouds. We audience members can make connections on our own and guess at what inspired him. I doubt he was thinking about dragons while seeing an actual flamethrower used in warfare.
The real story was in the details and they were good.