National treasure Jim Broadbent stars as Harold in this very British drama. Retired Harold lives in Devon with his wife Maureen (Penelope Wilton). One day, he receives a letter from an old work colleague who tells him she is in a hospice in Berwick-Upon-Tweed. He writes a reply, but when he walks to the post box to send it, he decides instead to carry on walking to see his old friend, figuring that as long as he is walking, she will stay alive.
If you can get over how ridiculous the set up is, you should find something worthwhile in this uneven tale. It is true that there are a number of problems with it. The people Harold meets are too nice, the weather too good and, after making a big deal of him having infected blisters on his feet and legs early on in his trek, that condition seems to miraculously disappear. Also, for part of his journey, he attracts an increasingly large group of followers, and the story seems to lose its way until he resumes his solo walk.
But, the ending is spot-on. The meeting with his old friend is touching without being sentimental, and the revelation of why Harold feels that he let her down is pleasingly unexpected. I also completely believed in Harold and Maureen’s relationship, with Broadbent and Wilton in top form, and their reunion when it comes.
Rating: 7 out of 10