The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

There are so many levels on which one can enjoy the curiously titled The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (2018)that describing the film is a challenge. Like many British period dramas, it has an epic quality in how it reflects on the world as it was in the 1940s. Sumptuously filmed and beautifully acted, it blends historical insight into a finely-crafted tale of mystery and romance.

Other than history buffs, most people would be unaware that German troops occupied the British Channel Islands of Guernsey and Jersey in 1940-45. Many Island children were evacuated to England just prior to the occupation and the invasion encountered virtually no military resistance. Under Nazi rule, many Islanders were sent to forced labour and concentration camps in Germany and all farm produce was confiscated for military use. The film opens with a group of Islanders out after curfew, having enjoyed an illicit roast pig and home-brewed gin even though strict food rationing was in place. Facing immediate arrest, they concoct an excuse about being members of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society who have been enriching their minds while feeding on potato peels, as the Fuhrer would want. From this serendipitous moment, a local tradition is born.

Switching to 1946, we meet Juliet Ashton (Lily James) a successful writer living comfortably in London and pondering ideas for her next book. Pursued by a wealthy American suitor, she enjoys the giddy glamour of a British high society that is rebuilding after the war. A letter from a member of the Guernsey Literary Society excites her interest and she soon travels to the Island to learn more. She becomes enchanted with its idyllic village life and rural tranquillity and how each member of the Society has their own wartime story to tell. There is also a new romance simmering where least expected, as well as guarded secrets and strong resistance to a book being written about them.

This simple plotline understates the multiple sub-stories that are a montage of war-time Guernsey, including dark themes of Nazi collaboration, the trauma of children separated from families, and uplifting themes about how literature can bring people together across time and space. The original novel on which the film is based was framed around letters between Juliet and Society members, so the film's timeframes shift frequently but with seamless continuity. There are several charming exchanges about writers and novels that you would expect from lovers of literature. The filming aesthetic evokes the era with authenticity, while Lily James and the ensemble cast are superb.

Some might say that this story is told through a soft-focus lens, mediated through the gentility of Juliet's privileged life and self-indulgent curiosity about the lives of others. That may be so, but her narrative perspective accentuates the world of difference between war-time London and Guernsey. Without such insights, the story would be just a warm-hearted melodrama. But the film offers much more than that. It is an engaging detective story, a study of survival under wartime occupation, and a tale of friendship, romance, and love of literature.

One of my dreams is to visit Guersnay and the other islands that the Brits call the Channel Islands. I am fascinated by the history, landscapes and stories of those who visited them. Now another reason has been added - watching the 2018 film 'The Guernsay Literary and Potato Pie Society' by Mike Newall. The director of the ultimate British film in the genre of 'good feeling' (I mean, of course, 'Four Weddings and a Funeral') manages to turn a war drama combined with a story about the power of the written word and reading into another film that belongs to this genre in which he is an expert. The result is one of those films that separates the opinions of critics from those of the majority of the public. This time my opinions go hand in hand with those of the general public. 'Guernsay' (allow me to abbreviate the name) is a movie that I liked, I was interested in, I was excited about, I felt good after viewing it. That was the goal, wasn't it?

We are dealing with two stories. The outer one has as its heroine Juliet Ashton, a London journalist and writer, who entertains with a group of Guernsey residents during World War II a correspondence related to their passion for reading. The emotional and intriguing story of the group of simple people who find moral support in their love of books in the only English territory under German occupation causes her to travel after the war to the British island, located much closer to the continent than England, to meet them personally. She will find not only a group of people who survived the hard times of the war in various ways, but also a mystery about the disappearance of one of the members of the club. Gradually a story of heroism and betrayal, impossible love and social prejudice is revealed to her. In addition, her existence will be disturbed, including her love life.

Critics of the film blame it for clichés in the plot (almost everything that happens is predictable) and for creating the image of an idealized nice and sweet England that did not exist and does not exist in reality. Even if I accept these flaws, they seem minor to me compared to the charm of each scene, the emotional intensity of the story, the depth and psychological diversity of the characters. Of course, much of the deep impression that this film made to me is due to the impression the performances of the actors made on me. I should list them all, but I'll just name Lily James, in the lead role, a character one can't help but fall in love with, and Tom Courtney, the rebellious young man from the 'kitchen sink' movies, the British equivalent and contemporary of the French New Wave, now at the age of great roles that conclude an impressive career. 'Guernsay' is a film that I recommend to all those who believe in the power of books, who love historical films and romantic stories, and who love England. In fact, is anybody else left out? Maybe just a few movie critics.

Watched this on Netflix, primarily for the great cast. A beautiful movie about love and courage. A great script and the acting is superb. This is a hidden gem. A must watch.

A lovely British comedy/Drama with a stellar cast.

This film has so much warmth and heart that it deserves all the positive ratings it earns here.

I was intrigued by the title so thought give it a go. disappointingly there were no special effects, explosions or alien monsters just a simple story relayed to us by actors of all things,because of all this it will not qualify for any awards other than my own lowly opinion. I laughed I cried, became angry and gave it the accolade of the best film I have seen for a long time, whatever tosh other people may say about this tale I enjoyed it, so lets have some more films with a story to tell without the bangs and bloodbaths