PADDINGTON 2
UK, 2017, 105 minutes, Colour.
Voice of Ben Whishaw. Grant, Hugh Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Julie Walters, Michael Gambon, Imelda Staunton, Madeline Harris, Samuel Joslin, Sanjiv Bhaskar, Ben Miller, Jessica Hynes, Jim Broadbent, Tom Conti, Peter Capaldi, Meera Suall, Richard Adyoade, Brendan Gleeson, Noah Taylor, Marie- France Alvarez, Joanna Lumley, Robbie G, Eileen Atkins, Maggie Steed.
Directed by Paul King.
Many of us were taught in the past that response to a drama was “a willing suspension of disbelief�.
This is something that is certainly required for the Paddington films. In fact, the British public, and the public worldwide, faced with a story about a talking bear in Paddington, more than willingly suspended their disbelief. And they will continue to do so with Paddington 2.
After all, it is about a bear who came to London from Brazil, who was saved from the rapids by his kind Aunt Lucy who, with her spouse, Pastuzo, intending to visit London. Paddington did go to London, finished up as a member of the Brown family, endeared himself to all the neighbours (except the crusty local guard, Mr Curry, Peter Capaldi, still inveighing against Paddington here), but did get tangled up with a nasty villain played by Nicole Kidman.
Can the formula be repeated? Definitely, yes.
One of the great advantages of the films is Ben Whishaw’s voice, a quietly persuasive and engaging Paddington. He is full of courtesy, full of good nature, full of goodwill. The Browns are all back again, Henry (Hugh Bonneville) the insurance agent, Mary (Sally Hawkins) always concerned, the wise and wary grandmother (Julie Walters), their daughter Judy (Madeleine Harris) was now publishing a local paper but not allowing any boys on the staff, and Jonathan (Samuel Joslin) temporally giving up his interest in trains until at the end where he actually does drive a steam train.
The opening does a re-viewing of the story, with Paddington writing a letter to Aunt Lucy (Imelda Staunton) and uncle (Michael Gambon). Aunt Lucy gets the opportunity to imagine a visit to London in the pages of a pop-up book of the sites, as well as visiting at the end for her birthday.
This is definitely a London film and all those who love the city, are familiar with the city, the main sites, will enjoy it very much.
Just as with the first film, there is a complicated plot, Paddington wanting buy a pop-up book from the local antiques dealer, Mr Gruber (Jim Broadbent), but finding it too expensive, takes on some jobs (badly) from a disastrous haircut to a cantankerous judge (Tom Conti) to window cleaning – a little more successful. At the opening of the Steam Fair, he is chosen by the celebrity, Phoenix Buchanan, to assist in the ceremony. When asked what he wants, he explains to Phoenix that he would love to have the book. Yes, we have guessed it. Phoenix is an absolute fraud and wants the book for himself.
We haven’t been seeing so much of Hugh Grant in films in recent times but this is a wonderful role for him, sending up his own image, accent, performances, a scoundrel of an actor who delights in disguises (even as a nun in St Paul’s Cathedral whom the dopey guard thinks is one of the most attractive women he’s ever seen!). He steals the book, Paddington in pursuit on the local dog, but arrested by the disbelieving police.
The film then turns into a prison show, especially in the prison dining room with its inedible porridge and Paddington challenging Knuckles, the Irish cook (Brendan Gleeson) – but charming him with bread and marmalade and not only their working together, a lot of the lags (including Noah Taylor) outing their recipes and making cakes.
The Brown family also take it in hand to discover who the criminal is, everyone having a job, entering Phoenix’s house, deceiving him with an edited phone call to go to the Ritz… This involves interviewing a theatrical agent, a Joanna-Lumley-like? Joanna Lumley!
It wouldn’t be a prison film without an escape. So, There is an enjoyable one here, Knuckles persuading Paddington to join, actually a hot air balloon with the laundry basket as the carriage!
There is an enjoyable flashback from the woman who invented the Steam Fair (Eileen Atkins) and some revelations about the pop-up book, the clues it contains, the story of a murderous magician – and you will guess the connection – and hidden treasure.
As mentioned, there is a desperate train chase with Paddington confronting Phoenix.
All is well that ends happily will – but do not miss the credits because there is a lot of wonderful recapitulation and, of all things, a prison musical, Stephen Sondheim’s song, given the full prisoners’ treatment starring Hugh grant!
With such a big cast and entertaining cameos, and entertaining fantasy – the best of British!
1. Paddington as the popular British bear? In the UK, beyond?
2. The first film as a commercial success, around the world? Happy sequel?
3. A live action cartoon, the touch of realism with Paddington living an ordinary life with the Brown family? The cartoon situations, behaviour, comedy?
4. The cast, the family, the range of guest cameos? The best of British?
5. The opening, Brazil, and Lucy and her husband, planning to go to London, rescuing baby Paddington from the river? Bringing him up? Paddington writing her a letter, the pop-up book and the sequence of her being on ship, visiting London? Paddington’s love for her, her birthday, the present, the book leading to the plot?
6. The Brown family again, the happy family? Mr Brown, insurance work, not getting the promotion, his disappointment, middle age? Doing the yoga training, physical awkwardness – but his doing the splits between the two trains at the end? Mary, devoted mother, the swimming practice – and diving in at the end to save Paddington? Grandmother and her care of the family, wry observations? The daughter, her getting the printing press, creating the paper, no boys allowed? The boy, trains, becoming hip, his nickname? Everybody involved in the action?
7. Paddington living with the Browns, his relationship with the neighbours, beginning the day, nice to everybody? The garbageman and his studies? The doctor forgetting his keys? The colonel and cleaning his windows and the colonel discovering the kiosk lady? The cyclist and giving her food? Always pleasant? Everyone appreciating him – except Mr Curry, his hostility, from the first film, denouncing him, glad that he was in prison, and the Browns spurning him at the end?
8. Paddington, Ben Whishaw’s voice? Look, character, clothes? The book shop owner, showing him the books, expensive, deciding to save? In the barbershop, the bad haircut for the judge, the hair and marmalade? Cleaning the windows, letting light into the colonel’s room? The humour of his cleaning the windows, the ladder, the bucket of water?
9. Going to the fair, the outing for the family, the opening, Phoenix and Hugh Grant’s presence? Hamming it up? The celebrity? Gran’s reaction against him? The opening of the fair with Paddington? News of the book? His room, neighbour to Paddington? The range of costumes for his performances? His acting and quoting Shakespeare and other lines? The decision to get the book, his disguise, cycling, taking it, looking for the various clues in the book and the treasure, going to the Tower of London, St Paul’s and disguised as a nun – and the dopey guard saying how attractive she was? Realising the clue was in musical keys?
10. Going to see the old lady, the story of the past, the trapeze artist and the jewels, the magician, his jealousy, killing her, but her hiding the treasure and the magician finding the box empty?
11. Paddington, in pursuit of Phoenix, riding the dog through London at night, the chase? Phoenix vanishing in a puff of smoke? The police, Paddington’s arrest? To court, the testimony of Mr Gruber? The irony of the judge being the haircut victim?
12. Paddington in prison, always polite, the darkness of prison, wanting a bedtime story, work in the laundry, the red sock, everybody in pink and black uniforms? His next letter to Hunt Lucy? The meal, the range of criminal types, the hard porridge? Going to Knuckles, the mess with the sources on his apron, the bread and marmalade, Knuckles relenting, their working together, the other prisoners with their recipes, making cakes? The guard? Happy prison? The family,
13. The family, the visits? Worry about Paddington being with the criminals? Their working on the investigation, the sketch of the thief’s face, the daughter producing the papers, the posters and the family putting them up? Their talk, Mary chatting with Phoenix, his mention of the blue eyes? The going to his house, the Attic, finding the evidence, the confrontation, spontaneity about the insurance investigation?
14. The plan, the children visiting the agent, recording her, Mary in the basket and getting into Phoenix’s home? The phone calls?
15. The family missing the visit, Knuckles proposing the escape plan, Paddington unwilling, feeling abandoned, the details of the plan, getting out, through the cogs, the clothes basket and the balloon? The plane, Knuckles telling the truth, the other two prisoners? Their leaving?
16. Paddington, phoning the family, their finally responding, Paddington Station, the garbageman giving the lift, getting on the train?
17. The adventures on the train, the two trains, Phoenix and finding the organ, playing the notes, opening the jewels? Paddington arriving, thwarting him? Paddington using the
toffee apples? On the top of the train? The confrontation? The boy driving the steam train, the judge and his wife, Champagne and face in the cake? The chase, the connections, moving from train to train? The carriage crash and in going into the water? Paddington underwater, Mary swimming to his rescue, unable to break the chains? Knuckles, diving, saving the day?
18. Paddington awakening in hospital, going home, everybody there, and the joy of Aunt Lucy’s visit? And the rehabilitation of Knuckles and his friends?
19. The importance of the credits will the judge, Phoenix in court, sentenced to prison, his wanting to do a musical, the pink musical, all the prisoners involved, the Sondheim song?
20. The best of British entertainment?
