Paddington

Director: Paul King
Cast: Ben Whishaw, Sally Hawkins, Hugh Bonneville, Jim Broadbent
Length: 95 minutes
Country: UK, France

“Coming over here… stealing our marmalade”. When Paddington bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) arrives on our shores he has no job, no residence, and he has definitely not been cleared by the correct border authorities. It’d be interesting to hear Nigel Farage’s opinion on what right the beloved ursine orphan from darkest Peru has to even turn up at Paddington station in this political climate; and whilst it might be a bit of a jump to declare Paddington a full blown satirical attack on UKIP, it definitely incorporates a message of inclusivity alongside bundles of fun, heart and legitimate charm.

Following The Explorer (Tim Downie) leaving a lasting impression on darkest Peru, disaster forces a young bear’s paw in setting off for London. Stowing away on a freight ship, he arrives at the train station, after which he takes his name, where he is taken in by Mrs Brown (Sally Hawkins) despite the protestations of her risk-assessor husband (Hugh Bonneville). Paddington is brought into the Brown’s upper-upper-upper-really-want-you-to-believe-they’re-still- middle class family home and promptly causes havoc, like a fluffy tornado. As he begins to acclimatise himself to London, he also draws the attentions of immigrant fearing neighbour Mr Curry (Peter Capaldi) and a taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) determined to add Paddington to her collection.

What’s most reassuring for the purists is there’s plenty of real humour all the way through. The source material hasn’t been dumbed down in any way: Paddington’s calamitous slapstick remains charming rather than tiresome, there are great sight gags aplenty, and also there’s an off-beat irreverence and genuine wit to mean there’s something for the older viewers as well.

With all that kerfuffle over Colin Firth, Whishaw’s voice was always going to be under a great deal of scrutiny. In the end though, his soothing tones lend themselves perfectly to the character proving the move a savvy bit of recasting. Bonneville is in fine form, lending gravitas to the risk assessor patriarch and Sally Hawkins is also compelling as his free-spirited wife. Plus, it’s hard to ignore the slew of complimentary cameos.

The film sets out to update the stories by framing it in the immigration discussion. Paddington, an outsider, finds the city initially cold as he’s brushed aside by the on rushing mass pouring out of the commuter train. However, unlike many who come to our shores, eventually it warms to him. The fact that ‘everyone in London is different’ is heavily championed.

Part of the problem in taking a beloved children’s serial to the big screen is the question of how to justify its filmic status. Recently we’ve seen you need more than just to crank up the peril. Postman Pat, in particular, suffered due to its laser-eyed robots, and there was a real fear that shoehorning Cruella de Ville into a series that revolved around a bear adapting to the mundane activities of an Englishman could prove Paddington’s undoing. However, the story succeeds because it still keeps bathroom mishaps, tea and cake for elevenses, and struggling with the underground at its heart.  Interestingly, some of the cinematic comes from the film’s visual identity, with several striking dollhouse shots that could well have been lifted straight out of the Wes Anderson playbook.

The film sets out to update the stories by framing it in the immigration discussion. Paddington, an outsider, finds the city initially cold as he’s brushed aside by the on rushing mass pouring out of the commuter train. However, unlike many who come to our shores, eventually it warms to him. The soundtrack strikingly comes from the most greek-choruseque calypso band you’ll ever see, and the fact that ‘everyone in London is different’ is heavily championed. The film tries to show just how multiculturalism and inclusivity can be if you give them a chance. If only the Paul Nuttall’s of the world could be forced to stare into the barrel of a classic Paddington ‘hard stare’.

Paddington tips its battered red hat with such fuzzy charm and sincerity that it’s hard for even the biggest cynic not to be won over. So go grab your raggedy old blue duffle coat, brave the wintery cold, and go let this small furry oddity give bear-hug your heart.

Image Source: Studio Canal