Paddington

Date: 25/04/2015 Times: 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm

From the beloved novels by Michael Bond, Paddington tells the story of the comic misadventures of a young Peruvian bear (voiced by Ben Wishaw after Colin Firth pulled out because his tones were too middle-aged) who travels to the city in search of a home.  Finding himself lost and alone, he begins to realize that city life is not all he had imagined, until he meets the kindly Brown family (including Hugh Bonneville and Sally Hawkins) who read the label around his neck that says ‘Please look after this bear. Thank you’, and offer him a temporary haven.  It looks as though his luck has changed until this rarest of bears catches the eye of a museum taxidermist, chillingly played by Nicole Kidman.

Paddington received universal acclaim from the critics, who praised it for its charm, its humour, for both children and adults, and its message of acceptance of difference.  They applaud the CGI bear for its realism and Ben Wishaw for his touching voicing.  Katherine Monk, a Canadian critic, said that ‘what’s so magical about (the film) is the perfectly British attitude; no one is fazed by Paddington’s ability to speak, stand on two legs and discuss the moral consequences of one’s actions.’

The film had two BAFTA nominations for Best British Film and Best Adapted Screenplay.

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Venue: William Loveless Hall