Marvellous

Marvellous is a film you could safely recommend to anybody.

It is difficult to envisage what you could not like or gain from watching it. It will take you through every emotion imaginable in the 90 minutes and can justifiably apply a range of genres.

It's is slightly slow in the earlier portion, the chronology goes slightly awry at times but nothing which hinders it and you can near guarantee being enriched through the life of Baldwin and performance of Jones being presented to you.

The only downside is that neither film or actor probably meet any of the award season elligibility criteria.

Peter Bowker's script tells the real-life story of Neil Baldwin (Toby Jones), who overcame his learning difficulties to become a stalwart member of Stoke City F.C.'s backroom staff under manager Lou Macari (Tony Curran), as well as undertaking a variety of other jobs such as greeting new freshmen and women at Keele University and running his own soccer team.

The production ingeniously combines dramatic action with brief interludes in which the fictional Neil encounters the real Neil and asks him questions about his life. This dramatic strategy draws attention to Baldwin's optimistic outlook on life, his enduring faith in God, and his belief that people are basically good-natured. Such qualities have given him the strength to cope with life, especially the trauma of losing his mother (played by Gemma Jones in the film).

MARVELLOUS also includes musical interludes, in which a choir sings popular songs, both secular and religious ("The Lord's My Shepherd I'll Not Want") accompanied by ukuleles. During one such sequence we see the fictional Neil participating, even though he does not really feel like it in the wake of his mother's death. Such scenes emphasize the importance of community spirit to Neil's life as a means of providing him with emotional and physical support. They serve as a musical counterpoint to the sequences set in the changing-rooms of Stoke City F.C., where Neil listens to (and sometimes participates) in the banter between Macari and his players.

Julian Farino's production eschews historical accuracy for dramatic effect; we learn at the end that Neil has worked at Keele for nearly half a century, yet the bulk of the action appears to be set in the late Eighties and early Nineties (judging from the age of the cars seen in the background). Such strategies emphasize the timelessness of the tale; we are not witnessing a period drama per se, but a triumphant chronicle of an individual overcoming adversity and carving out a niche for himself that is both professionally and personally satisfying.

Toby Jones gives a memorable performance as Neil. This versatile actor, who moves from film, to television and radio with equal facility, portrays the central character as someone whose naivété is particularly endearing. His capacity for ending conversations with logical non sequiturs is amazing, rendering his friends and acquaintances absolutely speechless. Jones' most memorable moment comes in a sequence just after his mother's death, when he sits alone in his cluttered apartment, staring at the wall, and bursts into floods of tears as he finally understands that he is now totally alone. But, true to form, he surmounts this loss and ends up achieving one of his cherished ambitions; to play for Stoke City (even if it is only a testimonial match).

MARVELLOUS is one of those understated dramas that British television does really well. Full of unexpected pleasures as well as some extremely funny lines, it deserves to be considered a modern classic.

Marvellous is actually based on a true person. Neil Baldwin lives with his mum, deeply religious and wants to run away to the circus to be a clown and make people happy.

Neil is also a person with mild learning difficulties, his mother is worried how he could cope on his own but Neil never lets setbacks hold him back. He makes friends whether its bishops, Archbishops, politicians or football managers.

After being abandoned by the circus, he becomes a greeter at Keele University, he becomes a kit-man to his beloved Stoke City and befriended by their manager Lou Macari. He even turned up regularly at the Oxbridge boat race standing behind the race referee.

Neil was eventually awarded a honorary degree in 2013 at Keele University. Its a life affirming film with the real Neil Baldwin popping up with Toby Jones who portrays him alongside other real life individuals such as Lou Macari. Its almost a fantasy but you keep getting reminded that this is based on true facts as these real people pop up. When you see Neil having tea with Tony Benn in the House of Commons is because he really did know his son Stephen.

Jones does a good job in getting under the skin of Neil, channelling his optimistic spirit and also the doldrums that he enters when his mother dies. Its moving as well as funny with tinges of sadness.

The film is supposedly a period piece but you are never sure when in the past its based, I guess much of the events took place in the 1970s but Macari became manager for Stoke in the early 1990s and Neil has been an unofficial greeter for Keele University for around 50 years when he got there as a schoolboy.

It surely is an individualistic, rather left field film, well it had to be made that way if they wanted to display Neil's indomitable spirit.

Marvellous

I have been meaning to seeing Marvellous for a while since it was shown on TV last year and i have to ask myself why did it take so long ? because this film is a joy to behold. It's the story of Neil Baldwin , who's outlook in life is infectious and lives life too the full . Along the way , picks up friends that mere mortals like you and me wouldn't think of mixing with. Toby Jones is fantastic as Nello and this confirms that he is currently one of the best character actors around today. What is really good about this is the interspersion of the real Neil Baldwin who confirms long the way that this did ( or didn't ) really happen . Director , Julian Farino has made a film here that can only be described as joyous and it is worth the licence fee alone. Nello is a legend . Bloody Marvellous. 10 out of 10

Directed by Julian Farino and written by Peter Bowker, this film tells the story of Neil Baldwin as he goes through his life following his ambitions. Early in his life Neil is considered to have learning difficulties, but this never stops him. He joins the circus because he wants to and becomes Nello the Clown. When the circus leaves him behind his mothers tells him he needs a job, but it's ok, he finds his way to Keele University where welcome new students and runs the football team. When his mother mentions that he needs financial stability, it is ok because he gets a job at his beloved Stoke city as a mascot and kitman. Along the way he meets Tony Benn in the House of Commons, he meets and befriends Prince Andrew, he plays in a testimonial match for Stoke City and (almost) scores the winning goal (ok, nowhere near!), he gets to sit with the race officials at the Oxbridge boat race - all because he just asks to do it. Neil goes to prove that with the right attitude and outlook on life, anything is possible and that we are only restricted by ourselves.

Toby Jones brings Neil "Nello" Baldwin to life in this biopic and he does a fantastic job. There are scenes scattered through this film where the real Neil Baldwin sits alongside Toby Jones and it's plain to see that they aren't identical, but what Jones does is bring the character to life in all his glory, and importantly he brings Baldwin's story to life. As Hollywood often discovers, you can throw millions and billions of dollars and special effects at a movie and sometimes it lacks a heart to make it noteworthy. This film does quite the opposite, like it's source material it has a massive heart, and that is enough to really engage the audience and let them fall in love with Baldwin, like so many people who have met him have done too.

This is a fun and uplifting film that has the ability to warm the heart and give its audience a range of emotions. You would be forgiven for thinking that some parts of the film are made up due to how bizarre they are, but in truth the only things that are really made up are some of the scenery and environments that Jones is filmed in (for example, Stoke City had moved to the Britannia Stadium long before the film was made and their old Victoria ground had been knocked down. The film used Crewe Alexandra's ground as well as Wrexham's to get around this.). I could happily recommend this to anyone as a down to earth, feel-good film that would suit a wide audience and have something there for everyone. It is comparable to other kitchen-sink British media experienced and it uses some old-school approaches to present itself, as well as some more modern techniques too. A joy to watch and deserving of the name on the box, this truly is "Marvellous".