The king under the mountain, along with his friends and family, and an unassuming hobbit, journey toward and retake the throne and wealth that they had been missing for years. Years after that nine individuals came together and created what has been named the fellowship of the ring. That motley crew of individuals ultimately defeated evil by destroying the all-powerful ring. This is the story of the uber-successful The Lord of the Rings books, as well as the equally successful Lord of the Rings film series. However, behind every great piece of art, regardless of the medium, is a persistent man or woman who dedicated time and effort into that work. Tolkien is the story of famed author J.R.R. Tolkien (Nicholas Hoult) and his journey through life. Tolkien depicts Tolkien’s journey through being orphaned, school and World War I and how every moment of his life helped to produce one of the greatest literary series of all time.
J.R.R. Tolkien (pronounced toll-keen) is considered by many as a behemoth in literary circles, meaning that his portrayal is of ultimate importance. The first step in ensuring that this character is accepted accurately is finding the perfect person to fill the role. There isn’t really anything about Hoult that makes him feel right for the part. He’s played roles in the X-Men franchise, Mad Max: Fury Road and Warm Bodies. Those who have followed his career see him as this science-fiction character, and, while that doesn’t fit perfectly with Tolkien's character in the early going, what Tolkien put out into the world is just that, science fiction. Again, however, Hoult, on the surface, doesn’t seem to fit the pedigree of the revered Tolkien. However, I, along with anyone else who may have felt this way before watching Tolkien, could not have been more wrong. From the opening moments Hoult adopts this debonair bravado that transcends viewers and fills the entire screen. He feels boisterous, monumental and essentially everything fans of his work would hope he’d be. Hoult’s performance is truly phenomenal, breathtaking and enjoyable from beginning to end. While he has found great success in his previous roles, I do believe, with the utmost sincerity, that his performance in Tolkien is his best to date.
What is interesting about Tolkien is that as much as the film revolves around the titular character, the people that played a role in his life share just as much importance. The love of his life--Edith Bratt (Lily Collins)--and his three close friends--Christopher Wiseman (Ty Tennant/Tom Glynn-Carney), Robert Gilson (Albie Marber/Patrick Gibson) and Geoffrey Smith (Adam Bregman/Anthony Boyle) enhance the story and allow viewers to see all that led Tolkien to what he eventually became. While the casting of their younger selves (Tennant, Marber, Bregman and Harry Gilby--young Tolkien) are aesthetically accurate, it’s the attitude and the emotion that they provide that allows viewers to fall in love with them, and, as a result, their fellowship. They each possess an endearing quality that, even in the most difficult of times, shines brightly through the dark. It’s too simple to say that their facial expressions, tones of voice or any other quality related to their acting is what makes them exceptional for the respective roles; there is something that clearly lies deep within them that enables them to convey love and passion in the way in which they do. Along with the natural talent, the storytelling ability of writers David Gleeson and Stephen Beresford, as well as director Dome Karukoski, supplements what the wunderkinds (sure, this term feels a bit like hyperbole, but the way in which these four are able to carry themselves throughout the course of Tolkien is nothing short of perfect) are able to accomplish. Is the story modified in order to make for good cinema, sure; but, the reality is that nothing is overdone. The relationship between the four boys feels natural and honest, causing viewers to fall in love with them almost immediately.
Fans of The Lord of the Rings trilogy (both text and film) are in for a treat as they see, maybe for the first time, the development of the Elven language, the inspiration for the one ring to rule them all and, in general, Sam and Frodo’s journey through Middle-Earth. With subtle hints to what was to come in Tolkien’s future, Tolkien is able to, without fault, bring to life the story behind one of the greatest series of texts of all time. As Tolkien’s story unfolds and viewers fall deeper and deeper in love with what the cast and crew have to offer, it becomes clear that, while Tolkien is a backstory to The Lord of the Rings, it works as a supplementary piece to the films, making it feel essential to the story. The knowledge of what Tolkien experienced growing up shines a light, incapable of being blacked out, on the beauty of the visually extravagant film series. I implore those of you who love the film series like I do to watch Tolkien, not before, but after viewing Peter Jackson’s works of art. This film solidifies any appreciation that viewers have for those films and creates a sense of truth and honor to surround them.
Tolkien is beautifully written, stupendously executed and perfectly casted. The journey that the cast and crew of this brilliant film takes viewers on is like nothing done before. It is emotionally trying, drilling viewers with love and loss to the point of tears. It’s subtly, but laugh-out-loud funny. Tolkien takes viewers to the ends of the earth, showing them both beauty and pain, continuously giving them hope for what is to come in the future. With everything said about the film, there is still an indescribable quality that puts this near the top of the list of all time greats, and, while I must stick to the idea that nothing is perfect, without a doubt, Tolkien is the closest thing to flawless I’ve seen in a long time.
Directed by Dome Karukoski. Written by David Gleeson & Stephen Beresford. Starring Nicholas Hoult, Lily Collins, Patrick Gibson, Anthony Boyle, Tom Glynn-Carney, Harry Gilby, Albie Marber, Ty Tennant, Adam Bregman, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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