Culture

Tortoise in Love is the story of one man’s very very slow pursuit of love. Tom is a gardener, and can discuss in detail the reproductive functions of hundreds of plant species, but is dumbfounded when it comes to talking to women. He finds himself in some cringe-inducing situations while trying to express his affection for Anya, the Swedish au pair of the manor they work for. The film was made with the assistance of the residents of Kingston Bagpuize, a village in Oxfordshire, England, and as a result the notion of community is at the heart of this film. The entire village is involved in Tom’s pursuit of Anya over the course of two summers, offering advice and constructive feedback to aid him in his trials and tribulations with love.

I really enjoyed this film. It’s simple and fun, perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon or a night with your mum. I was the only person under 50 in the audience at the screening I attended, but I believe the rest of the audience thoroughly enjoyed it, as they were highly vocal in their praise. The line they found the funniest was “If he thinks he’s miserable now, wait until he’s married!”, which was a bit unsettling. Nevertheless, I recommend this film, especially if you enjoyed films like The Full Monty or Calendar Girls.

If you’re not yet convinced, I’ll leave you with this – the guy who plays Tom (the actor’s name is Tom Mitchelson) looks just like a young Hugh Grant, before he went sleazy in a bad way. He is glorious, so watch the film and admire him for all 84 minutes, if that’s what floats your boat.

4/5 Stars