Hello everyone! 🙂
Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!
Over Christmas 2021, my parents and I became aware of a film called ‘The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society’ which was shown on TV one Sunday before the festive day. We had planned on seeing the film, but because Christmas is a busy time of the year, we didn’t get that chance to see it.
Thankfully, quite recently, my parents and I checked out the film on Disney+. I’m pleased we’ve been able to see it, since it’s a film my parents and I were interested in. I’m also amazed that my Dad’s given it high praise after we saw it on Disney+. He’s even purchased the Blu-ray edition of the film. 🙂
The ‘Guernesy’ film is based on the 2008 book by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. The story takes place in 1946. It follows a London-based author who exchanges letters with a resident on the island of Guernsey. Apparently, the island was once occupied by Nazi Germany during World War II.
I had no idea that English Channel islands like Guernesy and Jersey were occupied by the Nazis at one time during the Second World War. It’s quite a frightening thought when you consider that the Germans were close to invading the UK and we almost could’ve lost the war with them in the 1940s.
The young author named Juliet Ashton visits Guernsey and meets its Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. She meets its members, including the resident she’s exchanged letters with. She gets to know their history and how they coped with the Nazis occupying the island. It happens to be moving.
The film features a stellar cast. There’s Lily James who plays Juliet Ashton in the film. I’ve seen her in the Disney 2015 film ‘Cinderella’ as well as the ‘Downton Abbey’ series. In fact, there is quite a number of ‘Downton Abbey’ reunions in this film. Lily James’ performance as Juliet Ashton is superb.
There’s Michiel Huisman as Dawsey Adams, whom Juliet falls in love with. There’s Glen Powell as Mark Reynolds, an American whom Juliet becomes engaged to in the film, but it doesn’t last. There’s also Jessica Brown Findlay (who played Lady Sybil Crawley in the first three seasons of ‘Downton Abbey’).
She plays Elizabeth McKenna in the film. There’s also Katherine Parkinson, who’s been in ‘The IT Crowd’ and an episode of ‘Sherlock’, as Isola Pribby. There’s Matthew Goode (Henry Talbot in ‘Downton Abbey’) as Sidney Stark, and there’s Tom Courtenay who plays Eben Ramsey in the film. 🙂
I’ve seen Tom Courtney in quite a number of dramas such as 2008’s ‘Little Dorrit’. He was also in the 2016 ‘Dad’s Army’ film as Lance Corporal Jones and he was in ‘The Aeronauts’. The film also features Penelope Wilton, who’s been in ‘Doctor Who’ and ‘Downton Abbey’, and she plays Amelia Maugery.
There’s also Bronagh Gallagher as Charlotte Stimple and Nicolo Pasetti as Christian Helman. The film also features Clive Merrison, who I’ve seen and heard in ‘Doctor Who’ stories like ‘The Tomb of the Cybermen’, ‘The Contingency Club’ and ‘Paradise Towers’, as Mrs. Gilbert. It was great to see him. 🙂
The film also features Bernice Stegers as Mrs. Burns, Andy Gathergood as Eddie Meares, Kit Connor as Eli and Florence Keen as Kit McKenna. For a 2018 film based on a 2008 book about 1946 and set on an island recovering from the aftermath of the Second World War, the cast are so into their characters.
I like the 1940s atmosphere of the film, especially with the blend of affluence in London contrasting to the quaint sleepiness of Guernesy. It’s also interesting how the film often cuts to flashbacks set during the war when the Nazis occupied the island compared to scenes that take place in 1946 itself.
‘The Guernesy Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society’ has been an enjoyable historical romantic-drama film. I’m glad my parents and I have been able to see it on Disney+. It’s a film that cheered my Dad up when we saw it and it’s also a film required for the troubled times we’re currently going through.
Thanks for reading!
Bye for now!
Tim. 🙂
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