The Bookshop

CDI Films | Release Date: August 24, 2018

6.5	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 24 Ratings

USER RATING DISTRIBUTION

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Review this movie

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Please sign in or create an account before writing a review.

Check box if your review contains spoilers

0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User score By date Most helpful

Slovenly_MuseSep 30, 2018

The cinematic equivalent of spending a long afternoon in a historic old bookshop. Perfect for those who'd consider that a dream day, but for moviegoers who'd like a story wider in scope, the film leaves a lot of story elements unexplored.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

All this user's reviews

GinaKSep 10, 2018

This is a film about people who love and appreciate books and also about small business owners who are persecuted by wealthy (and therefore powerful) people who force their will on others just because they can. The Bookshop is a quiet andThis is a film about people who love and appreciate books and also about small business owners who are persecuted by wealthy (and therefore powerful) people who force their will on others just because they can. The Bookshop is a quiet and very enjoyable experience with wonderful acting by British actors like Emily Mortimer and Bill Nighy who don’t put a foot wrong, joined by the wonderful American actress Patricia Clarkson who manages to play the villainess without going over the top, which is a neat trick in a movie like this. If you are “a reader” like me, you will love this movie.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

AcaciaNov 20, 2018

This is one of those quiet little movies that don’t get a whole lot of buzz. But, it is charming and a lovely story. Emily Mortimer plays a young woan who has been left a widow. She returns to the place she grew up to open a bookshop. SheThis is one of those quiet little movies that don’t get a whole lot of buzz. But, it is charming and a lovely story. Emily Mortimer plays a young woan who has been left a widow. She returns to the place she grew up to open a bookshop. She faces steep opposition from one of the vilage’s most influential (wealthy) women, played by Patricia Clarkson. But, she finds a champion in a wealthy recluse, a wonderful turn by Bill Nighy. After her shop is set up and running, she hires a young local girl to help out. Mortimer and this girl form a sweet bond. With all the opposition to her shop, Mortimer must try to carry on. The story is about her tenacity and the bonds she forges with some of the people sne meets along the way.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

All this user's reviews

Brent_MarchantSep 8, 2018

Though beautifully photographed and well acted, this overlong tedious slog features a rather inconsequential story that could have been presented and dispensed with in far shorter order than what's on offer here. The belabored dialogue tendsThough beautifully photographed and well acted, this overlong tedious slog features a rather inconsequential story that could have been presented and dispensed with in far shorter order than what's on offer here. The belabored dialogue tends to needlessly drone on and on over matters that ultimately just aren't as significant as they're made out to be. And while the film is obviously intended to unfold like a good book, the pacing of the story in cinematic form needs to move along at a faster clip than its literary counterpart, which, regrettably, is far from the case here.… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

All this user's reviews

newenglanderAug 26, 2019

I watched this movie with four other women of various ages. We all thought it was terrible! I believe it was miscast...the bookshop owner should have been older if we wanted any belief and/or investment in her love story. The story overall isI watched this movie with four other women of various ages. We all thought it was terrible! I believe it was miscast...the bookshop owner should have been older if we wanted any belief and/or investment in her love story. The story overall is just plain boring (and I have a high tolerance for slow moving films) and nothing really happens. Do people really like this? So confused.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

All this user's reviews

KenRFeb 29, 2020

Penelope Fitzgerald’s novel gets a warm lyrical transfer to the screen in Isabel Coixet’s movie treatment. This somewhat gentle story of a widow (thoughtful performance from Emily Mortimer) moving to an English coastal town in the late 50 s -Penelope Fitzgerald’s novel gets a warm lyrical transfer to the screen in Isabel Coixet’s movie treatment. This somewhat gentle story of a widow (thoughtful performance from Emily Mortimer) moving to an English coastal town in the late 50 s - intent on opening a bookstore while facing heavy resistance from certain locals. It’s always beautiful to look at, with many poetic landscape shots linking the flow of sequences, and an interesting music score adding atmosphere.

Slight but marvellous performances from Bill Nighy as a somewhat mysterious book reading recluse and young Honor Kheafsey as her after-school assistant make this fine viewing for discerning viewers. At times it may have felt as if something was missing, that it might have resembled a TV episode but it’s better than that. It’s something to do with the nature of the story, and the people who make up its subject. While it won’t please everyone (what does?) it manages to leave some warm feelings in a cold sort of way, and even that is different!

It’s always surprising (and pleasing) to find movies of this genre trickling through all the hyper CG action blockbusters and seedy youth fodder & actually managing to make a profit. People still want mind-engagement with soul in their entertainment. And yes, that is Julie Christie narrating the story - drawing the viewer into each situation. Recommended for an easy thoughtful watch. Great use of Ray Bradbury stories/books to mark the time and Lolita featured prominently to announce the coming of the ‘controversial’ era, for better or worse, depending on your bent.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

DawdlingPoetNov 26, 2021

This is a gentle paced, pleasant enough watch. The story is fairly interesting, if perhaps a little basic but its an easy watch, which is sometimes just what I'm looking for. The characters, namely that of the store owner, Florence Green,This is a gentle paced, pleasant enough watch. The story is fairly interesting, if perhaps a little basic but its an easy watch, which is sometimes just what I'm looking for. The characters, namely that of the store owner, Florence Green, played by Emily Mortimer and Edmund Brundish, a local loner plated by Bill Nighy, are nice enough.

The film has a pretty setting, being filmed in northern Ireland as well as in Europe, although the story is primarily set in East Anglia (you can read more about that on the films entry at IMDB).

There are some nice pieces of dialogue and while it is a slow paced film, I didn't find myself overwhelmingly bored, so I'd say its a pretty good film but obviously, somewhat inevitably, its not one that will appeal to everyone (then again, who knows what one film does, frankly?). I suppose there are thought provoking aspects to it - primarily the juxtaposition between the pretty setting and the not so 'pretty' criticisms and opinions of the locals. Its set in the late 1950s, so I suppose as a bit of nostalgia its quite good, from that perspective. One of the books featured in the film is Lolita but there's no sex references/scenes in this film, I can assure you! its been rated PG in the UK, for parental guidance, although I didn't notice anything obviously shocking or offensive, for the record.

I'd say overall this is a good film.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

FreddoFazbeardoApr 14, 2020

1)I do not know why people don't like this movie, in rotten tomatoes it's horrible, in my opinion I liked it, but to help I give it a 10 so that it also raises my score on the score of other movies

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews

iCampoRamilNov 16, 2021

Una dirección magistral, súper bonita de ver, y Mortimer mola bastante, guay.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

All this user's reviews