Movie Review: War Horse

War Horse (2011)

Starring: Jeremy Ervine, Emily Watson, and David Thewlis

This film tells the exciting story of a horse and his boy. But unlike those normal animal/man bonds, this tale is not nice and pretty. Set in 1914, it follows the journeys and trials of a thoroughbred horse, Joey through World War I. Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine) lives in Dartmoor, England on his family's quiet, working farm. When his father unexpectedly buys a young, spunky thoroughbred horse, Albie gets the opportunity to train and raise it as his own. The two become inseparable buddies, but that's when the war starts. I won't spoil the movie for any of you (I know even Rachel hasn't watched it yet!) but here's a layout of the characters:

Albie Narracott: The so-called hero of the movie. He's about 17 or so when the movie starts, and learns so much about courage, bravery, and friendship through the tough surroundings of war. 

Joey (the warhorse): Just a spirited horse, he sees a lot, and befriends a special boy. Follow his trail, and experience the war through his eyes.

Ted Narracott (Peter Mullan): Albie's dad. He's a pretty heavy drinker, but is trying with all his might to keep his farm, against all odds.

Rose Narracott (Emily Watson): Albie's mother. She is a very opinionated, but very kind English lady, who's heart is to support her family. 

Andrew Easton (Matt Milne): Albie's best friend. A tad simple, but sticks with his chum through thick and thin.

Lyons (David Thewlis): I guess he'd be one of the villains in this story. The stingy, mean, and cold-hearted landlord of the Narracotts, he just has to make life hard for them.

Captain Nicholls (Tom Hiddleston) : A young cavalry officer, he's real good fellow. :) Not your average army captain---he's kind-hearted and brave.

Major Jamie Stewart (Benedict Cumberbatch): May I just say that Benedict made a great British cavalry guy? :D But really, he did a great job, and....well...I won't say more...*hint of a sniff*

Lt. Waverly, left

Lieutenant Charlier Waverly (Patrick Kennedy): A pretty minor character, but I had to stick him in here somewhere, because of the love/hate relationship I got with him through watching Bleak House. ;) 

(couldn't find a film still of him)

Sergeant Fry (Eddie Marsan): :P He's totally minor as well...but I was very surprised to see Pancks in a uniform and 

Emilie (Celine Buckens): This young French girl has lived with her "grandpere" since her father and mother's deaths. She certainly is the "boss" but crack open her slightly bold shell and you find a girl who just wants to know the truth.

Grandpere (Niels Arestrup): Emilie's grandfather, he's a pretty worried man.

By shielding his granddaughter from the ugly truths of life, he isn't quite on the right track. But the love he has for his daughter's child is quite sweet.

Haha! Sorry these are going on and on! There are just so many great characters in this awesome movie! :D 

Pros: This movie is such a fantastic, gripping and sweet story! The characters really grow on you, the plot moves along nicely, and the whole war side of things is done very tastefully. The acting is superb! A great film to watch with a middle to older audience. (It shows a realistic view of war, which means there is some violence-- some of which is off-scene, but it the content is still intense) And the soundtrack! It's soooo beautiful!

Cons: There is a little bit of language (the officer, when in the midst of battles use the "h--" word a couple times) and of course violence with the whole war subject. I wouldn't recommend it for a entire family film, but for a mid-range group (11ish up) it's a remarkably done movie.

My all over opinion is this: The film is stupendous! I've already watched it twice and won't tire of it easily. The soundtrack's been on this blog since before I even saw the movie, and will stay on. ;) I loved seeing familiar faces throughout, too!
                    Hope this was entertaining, and make sure you get a chance to watch this soon!

-Sarah

p.s. are you all interested in more movie/book reviews? Please leave a comment and let me know. :)