Mr. Hoppy (Dustin Hoffman) feels lonely, but is terribly shy; after falling in love with his much more outgoing neighbor (Judi Dench), he hatches a plan to get closer to her, involving loads of tortoises. A humorous, romantic fantasy that may offer no surprises, but lots of charm. Much of it is provided by the two leads, but co-writer Richard Curtis (who’s behind many similar romantic comedies) also guarantees laughs. Some of them are provided by Richard Cordery as a painfully self-absorbed neighbor of Hoffman and Dench’s. A richly colorful setting and the use of a narrator who speaks into the camera underline the fact that this is a cute fantasy.
2015-Britain. Made for TV. 88 min. Color. Directed by Dearbhla Walsh. Teleplay: Richard Curtis, Paul Mayhew-Archer. Novel: Roald Dahl. Cast: Judi Dench (Lavinia Silver), Dustin Hoffman (Henry Hoppy), James Corden (The Narrator), Richard Cordery, Pixie Davies, Geoffrey McGivern.
AVERAGE