It is rare for a fantasy series reaches to build an empire as large as that of The Lord of the Ring and The Hobbit. The books have inspired a fan base that reaches across continents and generations. A global fellowship of people invested in the fantasy world expertly crafted by J R R Tolkien.
As the Lord of The Ring and The Hobbit film series have now come to an end, it is no surprise that Hollywood has continued to feed this eager fan base through further exploration into Tolkien and his literary works.
Dome Karukoski’s Tolkien is a biographical film following the life of John Ronal Reuel Tolkien from his childhood as an orphan to his experience in the Battle of the Somme during World War I.
Tolkien’s intellectual awkwardness is portrayed by Nicholas Hoult. Hoult’s long career started in childhood alongside Hugh Grant in About a Boy and most recently in Mad Max: Fury Road.
He stars alongside Lily Collins, who does an impressive job of capturing the strong will and musical passion of his wife Edith Tolkien. Collins has most recently starred in Netflix’s recent fictional depiction of the Ted Bundy Story Extremely Wicked, Shocking Vile.
One of the strongest scenes in the film is the playful yet passionate conversation between Collins and Hoult on their first official date. The two actors have an undoubtable chemistry which created a strong romantic subplot throughout the film.
The dominant plot is of course Tolkien’s journey from boyhood to World War One, the development of his literary prowess, and the three friends that inspired and motivated his love of language throughout his young adult life.
The film boasts that Tolkien’s work, later to become world famous and adapted into many languages, is a story about friendship and quests. The narrative of this biopic mirrors these themes through the strong alliance between Tolkien and his university pals. As Tolkien and his friends discover whilst trying to articulate to each other the depth of their friendship, there seem to be no other word as fitting as a fellowship.
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