About Tolkien

Post 642:

Total spoil fest ahead.

There’s a way to make movies about writers that doesn’t force me into looking for the nearest nook to nap in. I’m going to talk about the biopic Tolkien, and no, I didn’t think it was all that bad. I believe they showed the writer of The Lord of the Rings and brilliant philologist to be… the writer of the The Lord of the Rings and a brilliant philologist.

Something went through my brain: Perhaps it’s just not that exciting or relevant to tell the story of a guy studying stuff at Oxford who happened to come up with some great yarns.

Then I thought about an Anthony Hopkins movie called Shadowlands, which is about an old guy at Oxford who wrote yarns. That one is about C.S. Lewis. A much different film, and, for me, more immersive. Just wait. I’ve got reasons and everything.

They decided to show Tolkien in his formative years and how his buddies and girl inspired him to write about the Fellowship.

It was serviceable, but too broad. Life was challenging for him, no doubt. Terribly so in some cases. But in the end, I can’t feel too bad for a brilliant chap that had to grow up with Lily Collins across the hall. Sorry movie. If you wanted it the other way, to be a celebration, it should’ve been more celebratory. The war scenes, the kid scenes, the college scenes… not sure what I’m supposed to feel.

They went for some themes here and there, and I found the discussions about language and what words represent to be invigorating. That’s what the bloke was; a bloody word genius, maybe one of the most creative linguists in history.

So more of that, please. The actors were good. It looked like a nicely lit British movie, and things happened.

But Shadowlands made me cry and think about things. It focused on one part of C.S. Lewis’ story and went with it. They got stuck in and milked a particular time in his life for maximum screen drama.

We all have our choices.

I’d recommend Tolkien if you don’t know much about him or his work. Or if you like movies that are nice enough. I’ve seen worse things. Just today, I watched three minutes of one of those house-flipping shows in the doctor’s waiting room. This is better than that. We get it. Real estate. Enough already with the flipping.

Maybe I’m flipping.

Cheers and see you after.