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Tolkien

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• Documentary
• Drama

• 2019
• Dome Karukoski
• 107 mins
• 12A

Summary

Biographical drama starring Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins. Orphaned as a child, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien is raised by a Catholic guardian. He meets the love of his life, Edith, at his boarding home, while developing a facility for language at school and at Oxford. When the First World War breaks out, he enlists and witnesses horrors that will influence his greatest work, The Lord of the Rings.

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Review

A star rating of 3 out of 5.

Alan Jones

In the same vein as Finding Neverland and especially Goodbye Christopher Robin, this formula look at the life of the Hobbit author loses its reasonably compelling story in a welter of safe biopic contrivances. Orphaned at 12 and raised by a guardian priest, language genius John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) joins a fellowship of other Oxford student outcasts, marries the love of his life (Lily Collins) and endures devastating horror as a First World War soldier - experiences that fire his immense imagination to write The Lord of the Rings. Inertly directed by Dome Karukoski in a similar way to his Tom of Finland memoir, the performances are fine, the chocolate-box British countryside sumptuously captured, the fantasy inserts effective enough and the typical period drama trappings all well appointed. What's missing is any real dynamism or more than superficial explorations into what made the celebrated British literary giant truly tick.

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6.8/10

How to watch

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Streaming

• Prime Video
• Disney+
• Sky Store

Credits

Cast

rolenameJRR TolkienNicholas HoultEdith BrattLily CollinsFather Francis MorganColm MeaneyGeoffrey Bache SmithAnthony BoyleRobert GilsonPatrick GibsonChristopher WisemanTom Glynn-CarneyPrivate Sam HodgesCraig RobertsProfessor WrightDerek JacobiYoung JRR TolkienHarry GilbyMabel TolkienLaura DonnellyMrs SmithGenevieve O'ReillyMrs FaulknerPam Ferris

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Crew

rolenameDirectorDome Karukoski

Details

Theatrical distributor

20th Century Fox

Released on

2019-05-03

Languages

English | German | Latin

Guidance

Some violence, swearing.

Available on

DVD and Blu-ray

Formats

Colour

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