Mr. Burton

Classy but long & slow Brit drama "Mr Burton" is the true origin story of Welsh '60s-'70s film megastar Richard Burton (Harry Lawtey - excellent), son of deabeat dad Staffan Rhodri, raised by sister Aimee-Ffion Edwards, and nutured into a theatrical force by titular teacher Toby Jones (quietly strong) who took the teen under his wing, had him lodge at his same lodging house (under Lesley Manville), and eventually even adopted him to give him the shot he'd never otherwise have had. The debut screenplay of Tom Bullough & Josh Hyams covers a lot (over 2hrs+) which experienced director Marc Evans brings home well. It's not adenaline fuelled, but is a worthy & interesting film.

Very slow but also very much a typical British period biopic.

You hear the voice of Richard Burton, the one we're all familiar with, in the last half hour, when he is shown to have become a promising, albeit very self-destructive actor.

There is also something about the cheeks, if you squint hard enough. But I doubt Richard Burton was ever that skinny. But anyway the voice work of the actors is incredible.

Interesting story, I had no idea about this aspect of his life, I first found out about it when Toby Jones was invited on Graham Norton Show.

Poor Richie had a huge chip on his shoulder as a result of his family situation. I was not expecting him to reject and abuse Mr. Burton so violently and for the reason he did. I also would not have forgiven him. Richard Burton was impossible to live with for most of his life. His delivery was memorable, but I must say I was not particularly impressed by what he showed here as Henry V. Sure, it's different, but I don't know, maybe I was put off by his impressive a-holery here. I have little patience for a-holes, even those with generational trauma.

I guess Richard Burton is another one of those artists where you need to separate the person from the art. And then you can enjoy the art.

Mr. Burton offers a glimpse into the pivotal early life of Richard Burton (Rich Jenkins), guided by his influential teacher, Philip Burton.

While Toby Jones delivers a predictably strong performance as Philip Burton, anchoring the film with his understated gravitas, the movie itself presents a mixed bag, showcasing both its heartfelt intentions and some narrative stumbles.

The film's core strength lies in its portrayal of the mentorship between Philip Burton and young Richard Jenkins (a commendable Harry Lawtey). Their evolving dynamic is compelling, painting a vivid picture of how a working-class boy from Port Talbot was shaped into a theatrical force. Jones and Lawtey share a believable chemistry that drives the narrative forward, highlighting the profound impact one individual can have on another's destiny.

However, "Mr. Burton" isn't without its drawbacks. The pacing, while allowing for character development, can feel overly deliberate, occasionally bordering on slow. Some narrative beats follow a familiar biopic trajectory, which, while comforting, can also limit the film's sense of fresh discovery. Furthermore, while the film touches upon the complexities and whispers surrounding their close relationship, it tends to shy away from deeper exploration, leaving certain intriguing facets underexamined. In a certain way, that might have been for the better!

Ultimately, it's a sincere and well-acted tribute, but one that occasionally plays it safe, preventing it from truly soaring.

We did not know what to expect with this film. We watched it in a little cinema in South Wales to set the scene.

The casting was spot on. Lesley Toby and Harry are superb, there is no over acting, everyone's accents are just right.

The directing and atmosphere is all you ever want. Such a lovely experience. Would honestly have been a score of 10/10 if the distant scenery and Port Talbot cgi was of a much higher standard. But all in all a very big Thank You.

Did I say Lesley Toby and Harry are superb, no over acting, accents are just right. The directing and atmosphere is all you ever want. Such a lovely experience. Would have been 10/10 if scenery and Port Talbot cgi was a higher standard. But Thank You.

Despite being a bit lop-sided, this is still quite a poignant story of the young Richard Jenkins (Harry Lawtey) who has been living with his elder sister and her husband since his mother died whilst he was an infant. His dad (Steffan Rhodri) worked hard down the mines then boozed hard afterwards, and so the young lad was largely neglected by him as he grew to curious manhood. He was interested at school, liked to read and sing and play rugby - and that attracted the attention of his teacher Burton (Toby Jones). He was a scholarly man, but a frustrated Thesp, who had lodged for many a year with the widowed "Ma" (Lesley Manville) and wrote scripts for BBC Radio. It was this latter man's determination to get his young protégé to focus, knuckle down and learn how to say "here" properly that serves as the thrust of the plot here and allows both Jones and the impressive Lawtey to give us not just an illustration of Burton's conflict and potential, but also a glimpse into just how valued education was at a time when families lived on the poverty line and working at the pit from an early age was a necessity that made schooling a luxury. It takes a few liberties with the facts of their relationship and sows some suggestive seeds about what might have driven both men, but for the most part it's an interesting character study of a troubled man who quite possibly didn't know how to be loved. The conclusion is all a bit rushed, we do jump ahead quite substantially in the last ten minutes and those missing years do rather leave a gap in his transition from geeky student to Stratford celebrity, but with a generous contribution from Manville to help guide us through this turbulent period for him, his teacher and his country this is at the better end of television biopics, and with Lawtey acting rather than trying to mimic the original, is worth a watch.