Review Summary: Tries, but doesn't excite or entertain like the author's books do.
It's 2019, which means the focus is on big-budget fantasies and musical biopics. But the book author biopic is one that is being overlooked. In the past few years we've seen great movies about book authors and how they got their inspiration to write their stories. A.A. Milne and Charles Dickens both got their silver-screen turn, as Goodbye Christopher Robin and The Man Who Invented Christmas both ended up in my Top 10 list for 2017. And P.L. Travers had some of her story take the spotlight in the classic Saving Mr. Banks.
Of course, when we think of Tolkien, we'd think of it being exciting (it is the story of the author who wrote The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit). He's a war veteran, so maybe there are cool finds and stories that inspired him to write about a certain fellowship and war for a magical ring. These all led to what could have been a very promising movie.
Unfortunately, the final film here is anything but exciting. I think the filmmaking team tried to create a unique experience here (not to imitate the formula of previous author biopics), and just didn't have the right approach. One of the big problems here is that Tolkien himself isn't examined enough personally. We hear a lot about his "fellowship" or "brotherhood" as well as his budding romance with Edith, but not enough about his own story (his younger brother also is left out in the dust). After his (admittedly quick) childhood beginning, the rest of the film focuses more on his relationships rather than his personal growth (Tolkien's Christian faith is left out in the dust here too).
However, with the characterizations we're given, Nicholas Hoult (Jack the Giant Slayer) and Lily Collins (The Blind Side, Mirror Mirror) are definitely well-cast. Hoult brings to life the uniquely-gifted Tolkien in his attitude and persona, while Collins is given a handful of great scenes as a love interest that tries to get inside his head. Both characters complement each other in an old-fashioned way.
The film also wisely avoids being just a well-designed film good to look at. Now, of course, this is a period piece that has great costumes, sets, and other nice touches. But, the cinematography in general does a great job focusing on the characters more than the environment around them. This creates a more intimate experience than many other similar films tend to do.
However, the idea to have bookends between each section of the film with Tolkien making his way through a war trench (with dead bodies) seemed bizarre. There's a couple of nods to characters from the books, but it slows down the overall pace. I think if the overall scene could have been towards the end and then shown some flashbacks, it might would have worked more efficiently. In the meantime, the final war scene (which involves some familiar imagery from his books) doesn't quite work.
There's also a lack of scenes of Tolkien himself writing out his book (until the very end, of course). It would have been nice to see more physical inspiration behind his characters and ideas. Instead, the film tries to create a more theatrical approach to try and create a story based on wordplay similar to his books. This sometimes works, and sometimes feels too jarring.
Some of the film's best scenes involve Tolkien and his three best friends discussing works of literature and music. These feature some entertaining moments, and this plotline is the strongest as far as development and emotional pull are concerned. By the time the war starts and takes out thousands, the film succeeds in breaking our hearts for the mourning of the loss of close friends. However, one friend and his somewhat ambiguous romantic leanings do seem to get too much attention at a couple of points.
By the time the credits roll, Tolkien has good parts, but they don't quite add up to a cohesive whole. It respectfully emphasizes the themes from the stories he writes (friendship, love, courage), but it often gets too carried away with them, while forgetting about who the film is supposed to be about. In the meantime, it's oftentimes too theatrical as well as too melancholy to make it feel worthwhile.
My Score: 4.9/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: Tolkien is rated PG-13 for "some sequences of war violence". This isn't a movie for younger kids. Fans of the stories/author of ages 12 and up may find it appropriate if they choose to see it. There are a few intense sequences of explosions and frequent gunshots. There's also poisonous gas shown in multiple scenes. In a few potentially disturbing moments, Tolkien himself is seen lying unconscious in a group of dead bodies (with a pool of blood also seen).
Beyond that, there's a couple of comments about "full-blooded, buxom women" and a boy cups his chest to give the impression at one point. One of the guys brings a couple of paintings of somewhat naked women (one shows one bare breast), and he expresses his desire for "live models". We see a long, passionate kiss between Tolkien and Edith, and Edith's father claims he saw Tolkien "come out of her room late one night". We hear one use of "a**", non-profane uses of "h***" (as a place, not exclamation), and one use of "for g**'s sake!" Some characters drink alcohol, and Tolkien is seen inebriated in one scene.
Some may interpret one of Tolkien's friends as being attracted to him (he does look longingly at him at one point), but it's left up in the air.
