This film, although set in 1959, was apparently intended to mimic the sensibility of a 19th century British novel of manners. Accordingly, nearly all of the action takes place between the ears of its overdrawn, class-conscious characters, who, between servings of tea, speak in modulated tones about their hopes, expectations, trepidations, and uncertainties. I never stopped checking my watch. This is a genre that worked until about 1870. It doesn't work here.
Review of The Bookshop
