Tolkien explores the formative years of the orphaned author as he finds friendship, love and artistic inspiration among a group of fellow outcasts at school.
Don’t let the warfare and dragon-filled trailer for Dome Karukoski’s “Tolkien” fool you: the fantasy and action moments are few and far between in a relatively straightforward film. Oddly resembling another recent throwback to wholesome entertainment of yore, Simon Curtis’ “Goodbye Christopher Robin,” with its glossy, highly sentimentalized portrayal of a literary legend, “Tolkien” is saved from drowning in cliches by its central endorsement of literature not only as a means of escape, but our personal and collective growth. It won’t provide much insight into what ultimately drove the massively influential author, and will disappoint those looking for an extravagant, SFX-laden study of imagination come to life, but functions well enough as an origin story.
“Tolkien” switches between timelines, from Ronald’s (as everyone calls him) childhood days, wherein he’s played by Harry Gilby, to Ronald’s pre-college and warfare days, wherein he’s played by a wildly dissimilar Nicholas Hoult. Inspired by his creative mother, who used to theatrically read bedtime stories in hopes of shielding her offspring from the brutal realities of poverty, little Ronald delves into books, putting his fellow intellectual classmates to shame with his verbal dexterity. Soon enough, Ronald and his foes become close friends, forming an “invincible alliance,” a.k.a. a “fellowship” (hint, hint) that will last until war tears it apart. They play chess, discuss literature and embark on cerebral flights of fancy – all over a nice cup of tea, of course. In the meantime, Ronald meets Edith Bratt (Lily Collins), his muse, lover and lifelong friend. His invention of languages eventually impresses notorious professor Joseph Wright (Derek Jacobi) – and the rest is history.
Karukoski’s feature uneasily hops from a tender love story to a somewhat-thorough depiction of the inception of Tolkien’s career and his creative process, to a syrupy portrayal of friendship. Not until Germany invades Belgium and flamethrowers turn into dragons in its final sequences does the film even get to Tolkien beginning his work on “The Hobbit” – intentionally and frustratingly so. If it claims to affectingly and effectively depict the journey that ultimately led to that masterpiece, it fails to do so. It does, however, tell a decent coming-of-age story, under the assumption that its mere implications will provide the requisite depth.
Nicholas Hoult has been a commanding screen presence for a long time now (see his stellar turn in last year’s “The Favourite”), and here manages to infuse an underwritten character with enough depth and wit to make us believe he’s the mastermind behind so many dreams and Hollywood adaptations. His relationship with Edith has its charming moments: their first dinner conversation about the meanings and connotations behind words, or the scene where they act out a play they can’t afford to attend while hiding behind the curtains. Colm Meaney plays Ronald’s literal father figure, Father Francis Morgan, with his trademark mixture of grit, gravitas, and humor (“You have a duty to fulfill,” he intones, “and so help me God, you will fulfill it!!”).
Along with its tonal inconsistency, “Tolkien”’s highbrow script fluctuates between sickly pomposity and sophistication, sometimes within the same sequence. And yes, “Tolkien” argues for the power of literature and creativity, but, somewhat ironically, does so in a conventional, by-the-numbers way. Still, it’s refreshing to see a film that takes so much care in illustrating the tenderness, patience, and skill of ink forming words on paper, and most importantly, the lasting power of books. Karukoski’s film may not be the biopic to rule them all, but it’s bound to bind Tolkien devotees to the screens.
In theaters Friday, May 10th
