Tolkien (2019) Movie Review: An Unexpected Surprise

(spoiler-free)

Brotherhood. Fraternity. Fellowship. Elements sorely missing from society these days. And dearly missed by those of us who can remember what it felt like.

But in this biopic, for a fleeting moment, it all comes back.

I don’t watch new movies. No, really–I don’t. Not without heavy recommendation from people I trust. So I sat down in my living room ready to be disappointed again, always willing to stop the movie if necessary.

I went in with an odd mixture of high hopes and low expectations, hoping that we might see some of J.R.R. Tolkien’s tenure as a professor, both before and after he stepped into fame. That the director might show us some of his struggles as a writer, his literary journey that led to the creation of The Lord of the Rings.

Bonus points if we get to see some friendly banter between him and fellow author, colleague, and “Oxford Don” C.S. Lewis, and perhaps get a few fly-on-the-wall moments around The Inklings within the legendary Eagle and Child.

For the most part, my wishes were not fulfilled. But perhaps I got something even better. Something I didn’t know I needed.

By the time the credits rolled, I realized the film had not only paid utmost respect to J.R.R. Tolkien’s legacy, but it caused me to feel as if I’d personally known him and his childhood friends. I could feel the camaraderie.

Instead of The Inklings, I got treated to the T.C.B.S. (the “Tea Club and Barrovian Society”), and instead of being a fly-on-the-wall at the Eagle and Child, I got to be a fly in Barrow’s Stores.

Which, it turns out, was just as well. Because those four members, these four young boys, were in such a tight bond with one another that only something as big as World War I could’ve hoped to break them apart.

That, and perhaps love for a girl.

The movie, of course, is not 100% accurate. But as far as I could tell, it’s accurate where it counts.

It may open in a World War I battlefield, but be warned the movie is slow-paced; It’s contemplative and quiet, and never insults the intelligence of the viewer.

In a flashback, we’re introduced to his mother, Mabel, in the midst of a sudden move. (The film fails to mention this, but it’s because she’d recently converted to Catholicism and her entire family had disowned her.) Despite their faith never being directly mentioned, it’s a clear undercurrent that drives the film’s events and can be felt in every moment.

Mabel is a wonderful woman, a strong mother and passionate storyteller. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with her character, and her portrayal left a lasting impression.

Same goes for the rest of the cast. They give it their all, and it shows.

Tolkien could have gone in several distasteful directions, but it somehow always held a steady hand. The Catholic priest who took Tolkien’s family under his wing was portrayed as an honorable man, a true father-figure. And there were no insinuations that Tolkien was racist despite the recent modern attempts to label him as such.

The whole thing felt pre-Ground Zero. All the Current Year messaging stepped aside, allowing the tale to unfold as it naturally should. The mark of great storytelling.

One of the greatest unexpected pleasures was seeing how the events of his early past could have inspired the characters and themes of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, and there were even several nods to The Silmarillion.

If you’re a fan of Tolkien and can enjoy a good biopic, so long as you’re not expecting a bombastic action film, I believe there’s something special to be discovered here.

If to reclaim a sense of joy and fellowship in your life–if just for a fleeting moment–I can’t recommend this film highly enough.