FROM TIME TO TIME

UK, 2009, 95 minutes. Colour.
Alex Etel, Maggie Smith, Timothy Spall, Pauline Collins, Eliza Bennett, Dominic West, Carice van Houten, Douglas Booth, Hugh Bonneville, Kwayedza Kureya.
Directed by Julian Fellowes.

1944 seems to have been an unusual year for some British children if films are to be believed. Some of them went into cupboards and entered Narnia. At the pictures, they might have gone to see Margaret O’ Brien and Charles Laughton in The Canterville Ghost, where a little girl meets a ghost in a stately English home. In From Time to Time, we are back in a stately home, back in 1944, and a young boy finds that he can move from 1944 back to 1809, see what was happening in the house back then – and he could be seen by some of the characters (good) but not by others (several of them bad).

Filmgoers may associate writer Julian Fellowes with his Oscar-winning script for Gosford Park (another stately home) and know that he has written Young Victoria and the stage version for Mary Poppins. With Maggie Smith as the star of the film, this one might be thought of as a film for adults. But, it is much more a film for younger audiences which their parents might enjoy.

Though, having said that, it might be noted that the film is very British, particularly British in look and sound, and may seem quite remote to younger audiences from other countries. (But, if they think Narnia, they may readily accept it.)

Just before Christmas 1944, 14 year old Tolly goes to stay with his grandmother. Tolly is played by Alex Etal (who was the little boy who saw the saints in Danny Boyle’s Millions.) While there are rations and coupons, life is not altogether unpleasant, though Tolly is resisting the idea that his soldier father might have been killed in action. Gran can be rather starchy, even condescending (in the Maggie Smith vein). Tolly listens to stories about the history of the house from the very genial groundskeeper (Timothy Spall) and the kindly housekeeper (Pauline Collins). Then, suddenly, he is in the stories of the past, opening a door from the muted drab colour of the war period into the bright colour and vitality of the Regency era. He can move instantly from one period to the other – with a little time travel mystery involving a torch that Tolly leaves in the past to help an ancestor of the groundskeeper – and then finds it in a cupboard of old relics.

So, From Time to Time is to be understood literally. Tolly befriends a blind girl and her African former slave boy, Jacob, and learns of his arrogant ancestor, Sefton, and his extravagant Dutch mother and the stern majordomo. There is a crisis when the mother’s jewels are stolen and then the house is engulfed in fire.

Without wanting to spoil the ending, it is probably best to say that it is sad but upbeat – an affirmation of stiff upper lip Britishness.

The film is based on the second of a series of novels from the 1950s, The Green Knowe novels by Lucy M. Boston which Fellowes loved when he was young. He has created the stern atmosphere of the war and obviously relished the colour, decor and costumes of the 19th century.

The film entertains but it may be too reserved in its style for many of today’s audiences.

1. The popularity of the original novels? The nature of the adaptation? The target audience: adults, children?

2. The particularly British story, tone? The British experience of World War Two? British history? For worldwide audiences?

3. The title, the play on words, occasionally – and moving from one time period to another?

4. Tolly’s story, Tolly at the centre of the story, the presence of Alex Etal, credible teenager? His age, the background of his mother, his family? Living in Manchester? His father and his going to war? Tolly’s love for his father? Visiting his grandmother? World War Two and the situation in 1944?

5. The train trip, being met at the station by Boggis? The visuals of the countryside, the visuals of the house? His grandmother meeting him? Meeting Mrs Tweedle? Her looking after him? The atmosphere of the period?

6. The period look, the house, décor, grounds? The village, shops, streets, costumes? The army occupying the house and moving out? The drabness of the war era? The musical score?

7. Mrs Oldknow? Her family heritage, the pictures, the stories about the ancestors? The 18th century? Maria and her background, her portrait, descendants?

8. Tolly alone, in the house and the grounds, curious, going into rooms, Boggis and his stories, Mrs Tweedle, his grandmother and the stories – and taking it for granted that he would see the ghosts? Who saw the ghosts? Who didn’t?

9. The contrast with the 19th century Regency period, brightness, colour, costumes, the rooms, the decorations, the grounds, the Regency period?

10. The development of the story, Tolly moving in and out of the times, his being seen, not seen? His interactions with the characters from the past?

11. The Regency situation, the Napoleonic wars and the aftermath, the father away at the war, a good man, stern, Sefton and his being spoilt, Susan and her blindness, coping? The mother, from Holland, her loneliness, apprehensive about Susan, interactions with the servants? The relationship with Caxton? His hold over the servants and the household while the father was away?

12. Jacob’s arrival, the father bringing him, benign attitude? The background of slavery, black? The reactions of the family, of the servants? His being a help for Susan? Climbing the trees – and being safe? Tolly later climbing the trees and his discoveries? Sefton making Jacob go up the chimney, beating and humiliating him? His father’s reaction to Sefton?

13. Tolly and Susan, sharing, Jacob seeing him, the kitchen maid seeing Tolly, getting the food to take to Boggis in hiding, his being called up? Boggis defying the authorities? In the dark, Tolly bringing the meal, the maid and improvising to disguise Tolly’s presence, the torch and giving it to Boggis, it being discovered later?

14. The build-up to the dinner, Maria and her friends, society, the drinks, the chatter? The looking down on Maria? The jewels being stolen? Caxton and his dismissal? The fire, people escaping the house? Susan trapped in the room, Jacob going up the chimney and rescuing her?

15. Tolly and his better relationship with his grandmother, learning about the family, more tolerant? His mother’s arrival, the sadness of the message about his father’s death? The mother and the reconciliation with her mother-in-law? Tolly and his seeing the ghost of his father?

16. A satisfying ghost story, the ghost house, time travel?