Title: The Bookshop
MPAA Rating: PG
Director: Isabel Coixet
Starring: Emily Mortimer, Bill Nighy, Patricia Clarkson
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins

What It Is: Florence Green (Mortimer) is a woman who wants to open a bookshop. This amidst an uproar by the passive-aggressive locals of a small East Anglian town. As the widow is relentless in her pursuit of this endeavor. She hopes to use it as a means to open the eyes of the locals to new experiences through the authors in her shop. As with any sort of change, this is something that is being resisted with ferocity.

What We Think: Oh boy! Emily Mortimer is an extremely talented actress. She can’t save this extremely boring and lackluster period piece. An absolute slog to get through. At no point in this feature did I feel compelled to keep watching. Unfortunately, I did. This is Coixet’s first real shot at making a film for an American audience as it were. I still need to see more from her to really believe she’ll be able to make us intrigued by whatever is next. What is next is Light on a Broken Glass. Well, my enthusiasm isn’t high for this.

Our Grade: D+, I didn’t want to do this. I had decent hopes for this particular film. The parts just never made the whole complete. No, instead it felt like a waste. I really cannot recommend this film. Even for those that love period pieces, there’s literally nothing here. Instead stick with some other, more interesting films or period pieces. Just not enough going on here. Go watch Mortimer in the fantastic television show The Newsroom or the far better film The Party. Which I found utterly marvelous and far more interesting than this thing ever will be. Man, forgive me for having sat through this one.