Hampstead

Recently widowed, Emily Walters (Keaton) has been left in a heap of debt after the passing of her husband. Not wanting to face the issue head on, she becomes increasingly preoccupied instead with Donald Horner (Gleeson), a man she initially spies on through her attic but grows to have a relationship with. Donald lives wild in a house he built on Hampstead Heath but property developers are threatening to evict him. Emily decides to take a stand for Donald, in spite of Donald’s hesitation to take action.

Our film opens with lovely picturesque shots of Hampstead Heath, so if nothing else, the movie works as a great advertisement for the area. It’s all very green and romantic, and plonking an Irishman (namely Gleeson) into such an environment seems only natural, cinematically speaking. The film is roughly based on the real life case of Harry Hallowes, who lived in a makeshift camp on Hampstead Heath and brought his case to court when developers tried to evict him. Being the romantic comedy it is though requires taking some liberties.

The plot is predictable and Hampstead relies heavily on Keaton and Gleeson’s natural likeability and screen presence to give the formulaic narrative a boost. In fairness, Keaton’s American widow and Gleeson’s Irish shack-dwelling recluse provide charming counterpoint leads – his character being gruff and stubborn but also affectionate, while she is good-natured and introvert (her lack of assertiveness, verging on cowardice, can get a little annoying, even with Keaton’s likeability working for her). The two actors are delightful to watch and share good chemistry. They handle their respective roles with finesse and professionalism, and are the shining beacons in what would otherwise be a pretty humdrum movie.

Other characters that populate the film include Emily’s vanilla son, played by a bored-looking James Norton, and a hipster-activist played by Hugh Skinner. The more interesting supports can be found in Emily’s friend, Fiona (Lesley Manville), and James Smythe (Jason Watkins), an accountant who has intentions for Emily. Watkins in particular earns a few laughs for totally embracing the oddities of his character.

There’s not a lot to fault in Hampstead aside from it being formulaic and unimaginative. After all, the film does lift your spirits as it is unabashedly quaint and cheerful. Hampstead is best-suited to more mature audiences, namely it’s one your mam or gran would get a kick out of, and heck if you’re into twee movies that are guaranteed to be upbeat, you might want to join them.