23 Walks

Undaunted by the rather lacklustre rating that 23 Walks had received on IMDB, I approached the film with an open mind. A film with Alison Steadman and Dave Johns in the central roles, set against a backdrop of London's beautiful Hampstead Heath, and telling the tale of a late-flowering romance would be, at the very least, a painless way to pass an hour and three quarters. Sadly, I was disappointed. The film never really seemed to come together. Steadman and Johns worked with an underwhelming script and never exhibited as actors the chemistry that their characters were supposed to be experiencing - I found myself wondering more than once just what it was that Fern (Steadman) and Dave (Johns) saw in each other . A good director should always strive to bring out the best in the cast but all too often I found that the finished product felt like a recording of a rehearsal, with the leads struggling to find the correct timing or natural rhythm in their often unnatural sounding dialogue. The storyline swung back and forth in a manner too restless for a movie of this nature rendering it an unconvincing battle against the odds, rather than a gentle rom-com. I have given 23 Walks six points when in fact, it only merits five and a half.

Found the circumstances to be very relatable and a good reflection of modern, messy, complicated life. Reminded me that - no matter our age - there's plenty of life to live and that, by embracing the grief that life delivers to us all, we can learn to live in the moment with grief as a constant, but not dominant, companion. Glad we discovered this little gem.

I enjoyed this film very much. The characters are a similar age to myself. And the depiction of a relationships and issues in later life are very true to life. It's very well written and the actors are well cast. The pace and direction is just right.

This is a sweet film. Lots of snarky family telling older people what to do and how to do it. The dogs made the film!! Of course. Don't they always? Good scenery! The concept of counting walks with the dogs to meander along with this couple was a sweet way to segue from one day to another.