It’s been a fairly long time since the work of Roald Dahl got a new adaptation, but the BBC delivered a treat of a production in their Esio Trot film over Christmas, and while there’s a lot more of our review to come, the gist is that it’s well worth a watch, especially while it’s available on iPlayer. However, if for some reason you don’t manage to get to see it before it’s time on iPlayer comes to an end on the 31st December 2015, or of you love it so much that you want to be able to watch it for years to come, the good news is that it will also be coming to DVD on the 30th March 2015.
The story itself is inevitably as strong as ever, giving fans of the book their first chance to get to see Mr Hoppy play out his harebrained plan to win the affections of his Neighbour, Mrs Silver, by tricking her into thinking that he can make her beloved tortoise, Alfie, double in size within a month. However, it manages to string it all together so well that you sort of get swept up in the elderly romance and multiple layers of it all, instead of simply seeing the cynical deviousness of his deception.
It all came down to the delivery of the film and while we’re not always bowled over by the narration by James Corden, the onscreen chemistry and acting masterclass from Dame Judy Dench (Skyfall) as Mrs Silver and Dustin Hoffman (Little Fockers) as Mr Hoppy is nothing short of brilliant. They’re genuinely mesmerising to watch and you can’t help wondering who you think is more smitten with the production, DJD for being the new aging love interest of the Graduate star, or Mr Rain Man for getting to work alongside M at her brightest.
Stylistically, Esio Trot is a beautifully constructed TV movie with a cute setting in a balcony encrusted apartment block in London. In and amongst the chaos of Mr Hoppy’s overrun flat, which has become the home to a variety of tortoises in a large range of sizes, is a world of minimalism and a stunning garden balcony, which looks as much like a mini rain forest as it does a little haven of solitude, replete with Wallace & Gromit-style watering paraphernalia.
The Beeb has also done a very cool job with the costume choices for both Dench and Hoffman, with both of them looking like central characters in a spy film at times, adding to the magical nature of the film, as they both set out their respective dance moves in this story of love. Mrs Silver looks like an elderly former glamour girl, with a golden complexion and matching plunging cleavage, which is pretty impressive from the grande dame of British cinema and builds on the concept of Mr Hoppy’s acts of desperation.
The movie has managed to do the Holy Grail of book adaptations by creating an Esio Trot film that manages to accentuate the genius of Roald Dahl’s original work. It’s funny, clever, thoughtful and brilliantly shot, making it a genuine joy to watch and a big shot of summer romance to ward off the winter blues with.
Esio Trot review: 4.4/5
