6 Haziran 2013 Perşembe

A CHILDHOOD HERO YOU MAY HAVE FORGOTTEN... INTRODUCING "MISS POTTER"

The concept of celebrities is a funny one, is it not? There is a strange aura about the phenomenon of meeting an artist you admire in real life. On one hand, you feel as if you know them already. It is, in one sense, true. Especially in the case of artists who concretely create certain works (as opposed to actors who are different sorts of artists), you are familiar with an important part of the artist’s soul – the work of art. A work of art does, indeed, spring out of a very personal place in the heart and mind of its creator, and it is the beauty found in the expression of it, combined with the universal nature of human emotion that makes us appreciate the works and find something of ourselves in them. But then again, of course, one mustn’t forget that the artists themselves are very human. And, as we all know, some humans can be quite unpleasant, even if they are artists. That’s why it makes me happy when people whose work I admire also turn out to be people I like and admire. And this cannot be truer than in the case of Beatrix Potter. I mean, come on. In the English speaking world who didn’t grow up reading her stories? Would you not like to listen to HER story as well? I promise you, it makes excellent watching…
It is the year 1902, and Beatrix Potter is the rather eccentric spinster daughter of a good family living in London. Her mother, determined to use every opportunity (including her children) to consolidate their place in the middle classes is distraught because at the age of 32 Beatrix (Renee Zellwegger) is determinedly unmarried and decidedly “strange”. She paints pictures of animals the whole time and invents stories about them. She insists that she will become a published author. It will not “do” at all. And yet, Beatrix wonders around town from publishing house to publishing house determined to get herself noticed. She finally is “noticed” by the Warne brothers. It’s not that they recognize her as a talent, oh no. It’s just that their youngest brother Norman (Ewan McGregor) is determined to be part of the family business and they reckon this eccentric young woman is just the thing… Their rather condescending decision will prove life changing for Miss Potter. In more ways than one…
I have a rather nasty suspicion that Renee Zellwegger is well on the way of getting well and truly typecast. Time and again she turns up on our screens – in wonderful productions, portraying great performances I might add – as the unmarried woman finding love in the end. There is nothing wrong with that per se – although there is a lot to be said about portraying heroines happiness being portrayed as not entirely dependent on a partner – but still. When you see her on one side and Ewan McGreggor on the other, I mean come on. You don’t need a degree in Film Studies to know they’re going to get together. Luckily, the film follows real life and real life is rarely, if ever, as predictable as the movies. Well, some movies.

I defy you not to adore Miss Potter as she is portrayed by Renee Zellwegger. Heck, throw in Norman (Ewan McGreggor) too. I know, there will be a lot of people who accuse this film of being a little too “cutesy” for their liking. But then again, people, it’s about Beatrix Potter. It would hardly be in the spirit of the woman or her work if the film was any other way. And, put your hand on your heart. What is wrong with a little cutesiness now and then? We live in a world where a lot of dark and scary things happen on a daily basis. A temporary escape to a more innocent world, if only just now and then, may be just what the doctor ordered. In the case of Miss Potter, the film also serves as a gentle reminder that the beat of your own drum is often the best beat to march to in life, even if it doesn’t quite match up to those around you.  

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