Tortoise in Love is a feel-good romantic comedy in the tradition of Local Hero, Calendar Girls and The Full Monty. It's about an incredibly slow mover in love and the village that tries to speed him up. The entire film is set in the beautiful English countryside of the Vale of the White Horse in Oxfordshire. The story of the making of Tortoise in Love could almost be a film in itself. Almost the entire village of Kingston Bagpuize in Oxfordshire was involved in the making of the film. Young mums helped with the sales and design and publicity. Retired folk provided the drivers and stewards and props and logistics support. The Women's Institute organised a phenomenal catering effort and all the cast and crew were lodged in village homes for the duration of the shoot.
Reviews
If you don't like this, we can't be friends.
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.
We screened this film recently at our little wooden village hall, having already seen it once last year. This community effort with mainly amateur actors, set in a gorgeous country house, in a pretty Oxfordshire village, was very well received. The story is deliberately slow, which is indicated by the title, with mostly quintessentially English characters and a nod to "The Go Between". While the audience are aware of the plot from the outset,the gentle comedy carried our audience along joyfully. This is not a film for viewers who want car crashes and gun fights. It celebrates the small pleasures in life: music, plants, love & constancy. Made on a small budget, it is refreshing to see such a charming result. The inhabitants of Kingston Bagpuize can rightly be very proud of their work.
Really enjoyed this gentle comedy. A film about a small community, made by a small community. It is fun, light hearted and warm. Would definitely recommend for a bit of Sunday evening escapism and a glimpse into English rural life. Plenty of endearing comedy set in a beautiful location. The main characters are goofy but likable and if you are in the mood, this is a lovely little gem.This film was screened at a local venue and was accompanied by an excellent talk about how it came into existence. Guy Browning is an excellent and amusing speaker, who has invested loads into his local community.
Could a film be more boring? I doubt it. This film was far, far slower than a tortoise. Just because it's called 'Tortoise in Love' is no excuse for the painstakingly slow plot development. Although there were a couple of funny parts this film is one to miss. My partner thought the best thing about 'Tortoise in Love' was the hot Aupair and disappointingly I would have to agree there wasn't much else to smile about. The main character was annoyingly insipid and wasn't a character the audience could easily identify with or empathize with. You just wanted to shout 'Grow a pair!' It was a realistic portrayal of life in an English village and demonstrated a close-knit community who clearly had strong networks and cared about each other. How much more do I need to say - wait for the DVD!
This is a gentle comedy of village life, with some good lines. A young man falls in love with a Polish visitor and struggles to find a way to make himself understood. Unlike Calendar Girls and Brassed Off, the film doesn't manage to develop a dark side to act as a counterpoint to the courting couple, which means that it can seem a bit insubstantial.The lead character is a dead ringer for Hugh Grant, and there are some good supporting performances from unknowns. The soundtrack is good and the settings are very beautiful. I loved the cameo from the Red Arrows.This the kind of film Richard Curtis would make on a low budget.
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