The Winslow Boy (1999)

Many thought The Winslow Boy was an odd choice of material for David Mamet. It was originally a Terence Rattigan play from 1946, taken from a true incident in England in 1908 about a boy, 13, discharged from Royal Naval College for allegedly stealing and cashing a five-shilling postal order. The boy's father, Arthur Winslow (Nigel Hawthorne), mounts a lengthy and expensive legal campaign to clear his boy's and by extension his own name, with the rallying cry, "Let right be done!" The resultant notoriety, the dwindling fortune of the Winslows, as well as the punishment this pressure exacts on them, form the surface action of the story. Yet underneath the staid manners of the dialogue there roils a whole emotional life hardly hinted at in the actors' faces. The famous lawyer engaged to defend the boy, Sir Robert Morton (Jeremy Northam), makes a suitable sparring partner for the Winslows' daughter, Catherine (Rebecca Pidgeon), a suffragette whose suitors are scared off by the family's legal battle. The unspoken romance between these two is more the point than whether right is done or not. Pidgeon brings the same inscrutable countenance that complicated her role in Mamet's previous film, The Spanish Prisoner, to this film--but here everybody seems to have it. As the differences between appearance and actuality reconcile themselves, Mamet builds bridges to his other works, House of Games and The Spanish Prisoner, for instance, for the ways in which dialogue is a cover for someone's true nature. The Winslow Boy is masterful in its quiet treatment of human mysteries. --Jim Gay Amazon.com

Great movie for a Jane Austen fan

This an enjoyable film.
I stumbled upon it in the video store.
I love movies that are clean and historical in nature.
I think I might just add this one to my collection. June 24, 2008

A Case of Honor...And Potential Romance

Terrence Rattigan's 1946 play undergoes another onscreen incarnation in this study of a family whose honor is stake. The stereotypical staidness of the British upper-class makes itself felt, even in the elegant well-orchestrated theme music.
Based on the real-life 1908 case of young George Archer-Shee, the story is about the 13-year old son of a retired banker (Nigel Hawthorne)named Ronnie(a fair and staid looking Guy Edwards, whose sunny complexion stands out against his predominantly brunette family)is expelled from the Royal Naval College after being wrongfully accused of theft and forgery.
In Edwardian Britain, it was assumed the that the Crown was always right and those punished were always justly punished.
The publicity surrounding the case has scared off potential suitors for the Winslow's daughter, Catherine(an assertive Rebecca Pidgeon), a suffragette, and takes its toll on Arthur Winslow's wife, Grace(Gemma Jones)and other son, Dickie(Matthew Pidgeon)as well.
The family's solicitor, Desmond Curry (Colin Stanton) acquires an appointment for young Ronnie to be interviewed by one of England's best barristers, Sir Robert Morton.
Our first glimpse of Jeremy Northam's Sir Robert Morton is as he in his office readying himself to attend an important dinner. While waiting for the rest of her family to arrive, Catherine , who has often observed Morton from up in the galleries of Parliament previously, speaks with him. The cut away camera shots lend a certain drama to this scene, as do Northam's imposing 6"2" frame, the slight tilt of his head,which places emphasis on his broad shoulders, and sloe-eyed sidelong glances. The subtleties of the actor and the cinematography are a thing of poetry and play off very well on each other.
The interview convinces Sir Robert of the lad's innocence, and he decides to take the case. It is decided that a petition of right against the crown will be used to bring the case to court.
The attraction between Catherine and Sir Robert grows, captured in subtle ways at first, in an exchanged glance between Catherine and Robert as she looks through the wire barrier of the galleries while he is on the Parliament floor, and in Robert's signs of being impressed by Catherine's intelligence during her inquiries about issues pertaining to the case, which by now, has so enthralled Britain to the point where the family must find ways around reporters crowding around their home at all hours.
At one point, Mr. Winslow considers withdrawing the case, as someone close to the family who is in the Admiralty plans to levy grave consequences. But Sir Robert perseveres after convincing Mr. Winslow to delay the withdrawal of the case, and eventually, through the Winslow's faithful maid, Violet (Sarah Flind), we learn of the case's satisfactory outcome.
Sir Robert presents the family will the statement at their home, and is once more quizzed by Catherine regarding its details. Through all the staidness and reserve, Morton's other motives for winning the case become visible, especially during a slight stammer in response to a statement by Catherine regarding a particular sacrifice he had made for it. The banter between the two has often been highly provocative, but never more so than at this point.
All I could think while watching that scene is," You've got him, Catherine!"
Giving it the look and feel of an episode of "Masterpiece Theatre", David Mamet has skillfully directed a variegated love story--a love of justice, a love of right, a love of a father for his son, a love of honor, and the potential love story between a man and a woman. June 24, 2008

A British remake

The acting is good and they have remained faithful to the earlier script of the 1950's version but I really prefer the first movie. If you are looking for a good British drama, you won't be disappointed but see the older version as well. November 4, 2007

a subtly sexy family film!

Rebecca Pidgeon and Jeremy Northam's fine performances fuel the supremely sexy subtext of a film that at first glance tackles the topic of honor and truth. Equally fascinating is David Mamet's (I repeat: David Mamet's!)profound exegesis of a topic rarely explored by modern filmmakers--namely, a happy family. His portrayals of parental, filial, fraternal and of course romantic love are in my opinion unparalleled in any movie, ever. Furthermore,of particular interest is The Winslow Boy's fine use of costume and production design (Mamet's editing is also noteworthy)which not only stunningly recreate a specific time in English history, but also serve to advance the very interesting story with innovation and creativity. After your initial viewing, do take the opportunity to listen to the director and principal actors' comments for a deeper understanding of the myriad brilliant technical components of this deeply touching film. August 15, 2007

Love This Film

Love this film. I am a David Mamet fan, but more so a Jeremy Northam admirer. I cannot stop looking at every movement of Mr. Northam in any film he has made and I have 90% of them in my collection. The Winslow Boy is such a wonderfully written and acted film; my sister and I viewed it again and again. How sensual two people can be (Rebecca Pidgeon and Jeremy Northam) without blunt demonstrations. Oh yes! August 11, 2007

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