Andy Serkis’ directorial debut is the straight forward true story of Robin Cavendish (Andrew Garfield) who is paralysed after contracting polio in 1959. His doctors want to confine him to hospital and tell him he has months to live. With the help of his wife Diana (Claire Foy), and her brothers he discharges himself and leads a full and love filled life.
This is one of those films that is totally conventional and has absolutely no surprises, from the opening shots of the terribly British people playing cricket and drinking tea to the completely stoic way everyone deals with Robin’s illness and his inevitable tasteful demise with all-the-stops-pulled-out to extract tears from the audience.
With Robin and Diana’s son Jonathan one of the producers it is certainly a well-intentioned and heartfelt but it feels pretty pedestrian. Garfield remains a charisma vacuum and Foy never quite captures the spirit that the real Diana must have had.
The more pleasing performers are in the supporting cast with Tom Hollander especially as well as Hugh Bonneville and Stephen Mangan catching the eye. The introduction of Mangan’s character leads to the more interesting elements of the film that look at how the disabled were treated 40 years ago. It is when we go back to Robin’s personal story that things begin to drag again.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10