Lets begin with the positives. Its a very pretty film which makes full use of a Welsh valley. The acting is pretty good as well, in general. It looks very period and the Welsh country show with Nazi backdrop is well done.
So in short all of the pieces are here to make a good film. The scene setting is pretty good and the cast competent. But a film is not all scenery and actors, it does kind of require a story as well - but this really is where this one falls down because it really does not have one.
And its not as if there aren't plenty of opportunities for a story to break out. There's the resistance group with all their secret weapons... but they get bumped off in short measure. There's the young heroic, lone, resistance fighter... who has virtually no lines and no action at all.
There's the German invasion and conquest of Britain... which is happens entirely on the radio. There's the secret of the map... but that really goes no-where and if it had not been part of the plot at all you'd really not notice. There's the Martin Sheen character who is great and mysterious... and in the film for all of about 4 minutes during which time he does damn all.
Which leaves the war-weary soldiers hiding in the valley to see the war out... but who then allow someone out so as to enter a horse in the local agricultural show!
But there again how about five people could be expected to keep everyone (including rest of the German army) out of an entire valley, as well as not actually being missed by anyone is anyone's guess. After all this is a map that is wanted by senior German officials, so they really WOULD notice if their crack search team had gone walkabout!
Its as if the director lost interest about 15 minutes into the film and just left the camera running while the actors improvise until they got bored and wandered off - which chances are most of the audience will.
In short, if you want to see what German occupied rural Wales would have looked like its great. However, after those 4-5 minutes the rest of the hour and a half is eminently, frustratingly, forgettable.
So in short all of the pieces are here to make a good film. The scene setting is pretty good and the cast competent. But a film is not all scenery and actors, it does kind of require a story as well - but this really is where this one falls down because it really does not have one.
And its not as if there aren't plenty of opportunities for a story to break out. There's the resistance group with all their secret weapons... but they get bumped off in short measure. There's the young heroic, lone, resistance fighter... who has virtually no lines and no action at all.
There's the German invasion and conquest of Britain... which is happens entirely on the radio. There's the secret of the map... but that really goes no-where and if it had not been part of the plot at all you'd really not notice. There's the Martin Sheen character who is great and mysterious... and in the film for all of about 4 minutes during which time he does damn all.
Which leaves the war-weary soldiers hiding in the valley to see the war out... but who then allow someone out so as to enter a horse in the local agricultural show!
But there again how about five people could be expected to keep everyone (including rest of the German army) out of an entire valley, as well as not actually being missed by anyone is anyone's guess. After all this is a map that is wanted by senior German officials, so they really WOULD notice if their crack search team had gone walkabout!
Its as if the director lost interest about 15 minutes into the film and just left the camera running while the actors improvise until they got bored and wandered off - which chances are most of the audience will.
In short, if you want to see what German occupied rural Wales would have looked like its great. However, after those 4-5 minutes the rest of the hour and a half is eminently, frustratingly, forgettable.