Sexyloutak
Absolutely the worst movie.
Rosie Searle
It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.
Philippa
All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.
paora1
Tedious and annoying movie , it was so bad we walked out !
muchiemix
That lazy evening, when you just wanna cozy up, and share some giggles, this will do. A decent story, with a good cast.
Peter Pluymers
"Do you drink too much all the time?
No, only when I drink."You're lying relaxed on your sofa on a Saturday night and you don't have the energy to do something useful? Well, that will certainly not change after watching this romantic comedy which takes place in the vicinity of Hampstead Heath. The whole film proceeds at a leisurely pace and tells about the strange relationship between Emily (Diane Keaton) and Donald (Brendan Gleeson). Emily is a middle-aged widow living in a respectable appartment opposite Hampstead park. Donald is a wayward tramp living in a little self-build shack in that same park, growing his own potatoes and carrots and fishing for lunch in the local pond. The two relate to eachother as yin and yang. Emily is having money troubles after the death of her husband, who left her a mountain of debt. She works voluntarily in an Oxfam clothing store and is reasonably socially engaged. Donald, on the other hand, never worries about money and wants everyone to leave him alone. In his eyes, the rest of the community consists of money-minded egocentric know-it-alls who do not understand and appreciate his wilful lifestyle.The advantage of films such as "Hampstead", is that you won't be flabbergasted by it. You get a warm and blissful feeling from it and your brain cells are spared an exhausting effort. My philosophizing about "being amazed while watching a movie" (read my review about "Paddington 2" once again) isn't applicable to this film, because there's really nothing to be surprised about. The choice of its title is quite obvious. And when Emily looks unconsciously with binoculars through the attic window and thus discovers the bare belly of a bathing Donald, you immediately know what the tree-hugging activist is planning to do. What follows is a succession of endearing conversations and predictable misunderstandings. Fortunately, it doesn't lapse into romantic excesses and we are simply witnessing a burgeoning friendship between two individuals who have their own personal problems. One person fails to make ends meet financially and her gossiping high-society neighbor tries to link her to an accountant. The other is urged to leave his premises or he'll be expecting some legal proceedings. Well, it's clear from the beginning how this will resolve itself.I really enjoy the acting of Diane Keaton. In every film she's the personification of a very cozy, hugely affectionate and huggable elderly lady. Such a granny who looks immensely friendly, helpful and old-fashioned. And on that level, she's of course the correct choice to play the character Emily in this not so surprising film. Because to be honest, it seems as if Diane Keaton always plays the same movie character. I'm sure Diane Keaton is a similar person in real life and thus plays herself all the time. Brendan Gleeson, on the other hand, was a joy to watch. A bearded garden gnome who's sometimes a real old grumbler but next shows he also owns a caring heart. Even though they look like an odd couple and it feels as if they don't really belong together, I can understand that someone like Emily can succumb to the sometimes hidden charms of Donald.Apparently the story is based on true facts but some things are a bit romanticized and made up. The whole thing reminded me of "5 Flights up" where Diane Keaton also had a real estate problem together with Morgan Freeman. "Hampstead" is like some household tasks. You do not necessarily have to do them, but if you can bring yourself to carry them out, it won't hurt either. So it's not required to watch this average, easy-going romantic comedy. But if you do, it won't seem as if you've ruined your precious time.More reviews here : movie-freak.be
Paul Guest
Superficially this film looks like a cross between 'Notting Hill' (for older people) and 'The Lady in the Van'. Below the surface, however, it is surprisingly substantial and even has some political implications.I'd been expecting to like it simply for its local colour, which indeed is quite plentiful. Apart from the Heath, there are shots of Hampstead High Street, Flask Walk, some side roads and courts, and even (briefly) the 18th-century painter George Romney's house on Holly Bush Hill.The film has been accused of making Hampstead look permanently sunny. In fact, when Emily Walters (Diane Keaton) first appears there is heavy rain outside. Admittedly the weather brightens by the time she befriends Donald Horner (Brendan Gleeson). These, then, may be examples of the pathetic fallacy, or may not.Emily first sees Donald, symbolically, from a distance while surveying the local area with binoculars. The relationship between them develops in a fairly complex way. This is dramatically satisfying, and so is the underlying tension between Emily and Fiona (Lesley Manville), hypocritical cheerleader of Emily's fellow residents. When Emily eventually loses patience with her, she reveals a steely side beneath her previous passivity.In siding with Donald against the odious snobs in her block of flats, she certainly isn't passive. They are both outsiders: she as an American widow faced with finding a smaller home, he with his shack on the Heath. Though severely stigmatised by the local snobs, he is quite harmless. As he says, "I've always gone out of my way to keep out of the way." This is a plea to 'live and let live' and thus for tolerance. He scores a surprising victory in the end, though, in fighting for his home – like the late Harry Hallowes, the 'hermit' of Hampstead Heath on whom he is modelled.Some critics seem to have thought the role of Donald unworthy of Brendan Gleeson. The actor, however, clearly respected his role and took it seriously. He "liked the idea that in a 'fairy tale love story' there was still room to consider vital issues over ownership of land, house prices and whether it is possible to live outside what society considers 'normal' today." And he remarks, "The idea of providing or withdrawing shelter from someone in order to make money is just a crazy way of living." islingtontribune.com/article/brendan-gleeson-on-a-heath-fairy-tale Gleeson does point out one limitation to the film: "There had to be an element of antisepticness applied when we made (Donald's) home – we couldn't make it like Harry's, really." Even so, it is truly shocking to see, at one point, that his home has been vandalised.Sadly, James Norton's role as Emily's son Philip isn't so worthy of him. Philip seems to serve no real purpose, except for disapproving of his mother's plans. He plays a slightly comic role in one brief scene, when Donald suddenly appears before him and Emily just after having a bath. This, however, looks suspiciously similar to Spike's (Rhys Ifans) shock appearance before the paparazzi in 'Notting Hill'.So Norton is under-used but Diane Keaton, Brendan Gleeson and Lesley Manville all give strong and memorable performances. It's too easy to sneer at 'Hampstead'. One reviewer calls it a "ghastly faux-mance" and remarks that the musical score "sounds like it was ripped from a feature-length insurance ad." I think the film and the score deserve better.
