Too much of everything

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It's 1912. Charles Castle (Toby Stephens) loses his new bride (Rachel Shelley) in a snow crevasse in Switzerland. During the war, he works as a war photographer not caring about dying. After the war in London, he takes portraits of people inserting their lost love ones into the pictures and debunks a photo forgery of fairies in front of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's group. Beatrice Templeton brings him photos of her daughters Clara and Ana with fairies. Charles can't find any tampering in the image and decides to find out for himself in the small town of Burkinwell. Beatrice tells him that she had seen the fairies herself but then he finds her dead in the woods. Her husband Reverend Templeton (Ben Kingsley) is much respected. Linda (Emily Woof) is the kids' nanny. The kids eat a flower that allow them into the world of fairies.It's the feel of a bit of moody light horror at the start. It could have gone that way but it goes more to the magical fantasy. Yet it's not surreal or fanciful. It's a very fascinating unusual mix of tones. Ben Kingsley has the juicier part and plays it very well. The movie climaxes with an interesting fight but then it fades a little. It needs to wrap up a little quicker. That's probably my only minor complaint.

I saw this film on television 3 years ago, very late night and I was totally unprepared for the emotional and magical experiential experiences. Photographing fairies is a film that juxtaposes Edwardian life with the supernatural and the advent of photographic technology. It has references to Conan Doyles life long interest with the theosophical society. It also alludes to the myths and legends of the English Fairy Stories, and Sheakspeares Midsummer Nights Dream. Nick Willing's 1997 film has a stellar cast Toby Stephens plays the young ex-army photographer who after experiencing grief goes on a long emotional journey as he come to terms with the loss of his wife. Stephen's character is still searching for the love of his life and I feel still questioning the absoluteness of death. Until one day in walks the Reverends wife, played by Francis Barber. She makes an unusual request and asks Stephen's character to visit her village and document some unusual activities, It turns out the the Edwardian high church village community are challenged by the intervention of an Alice in wonderland scenario. The Reverend, Ben Kingsley's character feels he is responsible for the moral and spiritual upkeep of the village as well as the nation, and goes on a crusade to prove and upheld a way of life that had never been challenged before. Emily Woolf's character as the 'love interest' belies the very essence of 'never ending love' and the nature of relationships. Whilst the vicar's children, teeter vicariously on the edge of childhood fearlessness and feralness abound, and all rules of nature are not what they seem. The combination of fairy magic,malevolence and the children's 'imagination's' coupled with the machinations of the'fairy kingdom' makes this movie achieve the rare goal of suspending our belief and making the surreal seem real. Their is brilliant storytelling,I haven't read the book yet; and intelligent direction also beautiful cinematography. Yet I can not buy this movie in a retail store because apparently it is not available. Well I think its about time, it is now 2011: The producers of 'Photographing Faries' make it available as a re-issue on DVD, and become mature about the distribution deals and make us so called 'consumers'happy. They could be making themselves a quick buck in the process. Miss Anderson

Such a shame that this beautiful film has been so overlooked and dismissed. I can think of few films that deal with the issue of loss and grief so sensitively and with such original flair. Nick Willing's film is tender, mysterious, moving and confident. And, often quite rare in modern cinema, his characters actually deliver and go on a genuine journey. In short, this film takes us somewhere. I believe Mr Willing and his producers have been criticised heavily for their fairy effects: the fairies that appear are sometimes lithe, naked little nymphs, and sometimes plump little men. Both are absolutely perfectly judged, in my opinion, providing something as far from Disney as possible, but entirely in keeping with the Edwardian mood of the whole piece. Moreover, the lighting, pacing, over-cranking and scoring of the sequences wherein the fairies appear are masterfully handled. As a film-maker myself, I find this film an inspiration. The end of the film is unbelievably balletic and touching. Ben Kingsley, Toby Stephens and Edward Hardwicke are splendid. The score by Simon Boswell is also an absolute gem, and it's a shame this isn't on general release on CD. One of the great British films of the end of the century.

Beethoven's 7th symphony is just so perfect for this movie. One might say good music compliments good movie. It's my personal opinion but I believe good movie compliments good classical music. I have listened to Beethoven's 7th symphony many times. I haven't had the appreciation for the 7th symphony until I saw this movie. From now on whenever I listen to this music I will picture the last scene of this movie, so mesmerizing...Movies like this helps none classical music audience learn to appreciate classical music. I am just waiting to see if there is a movie that will help me understand rap. lol