Turtle Diary

"Turtle Diary" is a movie easily underestimated: the viewer is not 'pushed' through a nerve-wrecking plot and scenes. However, this movie rewards the viewer with an intimate and at times moving picture of common people in unusual circumstances. Ben Kingsley plays a totally credible single male living an undisturbed life as a book-selling clerk. During his daily visits to the giant sea turtles - rare animals on the brink of extinction - in the Zoo Aquarium he develops the moral conviction that the animals should be set free. He discovers that a female writer of nature books, who sometimes visits the bookstore where Kingley works, shares his vision and together with the zoo assistant they make a plan and prepare the illegal 'abduction' of the turtles. The movie succeeds in engaging the viewer in the plans and the suspense of the preparation while at the same time presenting a realistic and sometimes moving picture of daily life in the English lodging house where Kingley lives. There is even a little surprising romantic touch at the end of the movie. The movie invites the viewer to identify himself (and herself) with the main characters. There are reminders of classic Italian neo-realistic cinema in the combination of realism with the feeling of personal involvement it can evoke from the viewer.

Two withdrawn, pathologically shy Londoners, one a dedicated bachelor and the other an author of children's books, conspire to hijack a trio of sea turtles from a local zoo and liberate them into the English Channel, coming out of their own shells (so to speak) in the process.

It sounds trite, but what saves the film from becoming a starry-eyed promotion for Greenpeace is its refusal to rely strictly on charm. The screenplay by Harold Pinter (a refreshingly straightforward adaptation of the novel by Russell Hoban) is built entirely on small gestures and quiet epiphanies, with none of the expected emotional overkill or cheap inspirational grandstanding (there is, for example, no awkward romantic subplot tacked on to the adventure). Glenda Jackson and Ben Kingsley both give typically immaculate performances, and the film itself is likewise quite exhilarating, in its own understated, unassuming sort of way.

(1985) Turtle Diary DRAMA

Adapted from the novel by Russell Hoban, simplistic formulaic plot with two middle age adults of Neaera Duncan (,Glenda Jackson) and bookstore clerk, William Snow (Ben Kingsley). With it's goal was to releasing three turtles back into the ocean from their captivated environment from a nearby zoo.

The characters of Glenda Jackson and Oscar winner Ben Kinglsey gives this film credibility, along as a great screenplay written by the author, Russell Hoban and Harold Pinter than the situation of freeing the turtles. Please do not expect a "Free Willy" type of scenario here because it is not.

Two lonely people, who desperately need to break out of their own confines, conspire together to free two sea turtles that have been imprisoned in an aquarium for thirty years. Harold Pinter's well-written script for "Turtle Diary" is spare, but Ben Kingsley and Glenda Jackson are such consummate actors that they bring a depth to their parts that goes well beyond words. Screen acting rarely gets better than these two performances. A glance, a half smile, and a shrug convey more than a page of written lines, and Kingsley and Jackson are masters of non-verbal communication. The supporting cast in this quirky film is equally skilled and ably fleshes out the sketchily written roles. Eleanor Bron is particularly memorable as a shadowy woman of few words, who lives in the same boardinghouse as Kingsley. She says little, but suggests much. Bron's character will haunt the viewer long after the film is over. Richard Johnson plays Jackson's neighbor, and he too creates a character far more real than his few lines of dialog would suggest. Nigel Hawthorne, Rosemary Leach, Michael Gambon, and Jeroen Krabbe also add idiosyncratic characterizations to this engaging film.

Set in London, "Turtle Diary" could be classified as a love story, although no romance develops between the leads and the lack of romance or interpersonal involvement constrains many of the protagonists. For the most part, the characters are solitary individuals, who exist alone and uninvolved when the film opens. However, as the story progresses, the fortunate form attachments, while those who do not remain confined by their loneliness. The story is slight and obviously intended to provide parallels between the plight of the turtles and those of the characters. Events move slowly, and character trumps plot. "Turtle Diary" is a glowing film for patient viewers, who will be rewarded for their time with excellent performances, memorable characters, and a gentle captivating story.

"Turtle Diary" tells a preposterous -- even silly -- story but is saved by great performances, an evocative score, and consistent good humor. There has never been a more commanding screen presence than Glenda Jackson. What a shame it is that she has deprived us of her formidable talent in order to become a minor league politician. Ben Kingsley is also wonderful. `Turtle Diary' calls for patience but those who exercise it will be well rewarded. 7 out of 10.