Reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

June 17, 2024
7.0
There's something quite fascinating about the recuperative ability of the land to recover from centuries of man's abuse displayed in this documentary. Isabella Tree and husband Charlie have inherited a country estate that can barely manage to grow weeds. The soil is knackered and desperate action is required. They hit on the fairly radical idea of abandoning the place to nature (except their front lawn!) and the film now follows the reclamation of this space by birds, bugs, deer, pigs, cattle - creatures that would have roamed the land freely a few hundred years ago. They even bring in storks! It's a stunning piece of photography to look at, but the underlying narrative is really quite weak and I found it allowed sentiment to overrule the one thing it fails to address - scalability. They live in a castle with no evident money worries. None that we are told about, anyway. So this looks like a worthy pet project that though laudable and impressive will, as one of their neighbours raises at a meeting, not feed the nation. When the vast majority of these complementary farming techniques were in use, the population of the UK was probably less than 10% of what it is now; malnutrition and starvation were rife and distribution methods, without refrigeration, left the food supply subject to the vagaries of the weather. What this doesn't address in any way is just how this method of nurturing the land is going to provide for an hungry population. It's largely presented by Isabella Tree herself, and she is an engaging individual but one who presents the most complex of arguments in far too simple a fashion - as if it were a lecture on the relative merits of organic methods without addressing in any way their limitations of their practicalities or economics. "Duncan" the horse and a few of the pigs have some great fun at a charity polo match and it is a very watchable film - but a little too light and fluffy.

Recommendation Movies

7.9
Documentary
View
7.9
Eternal Spring
Eternal Spring2023
6.6
Drama
View
6.6
Twitches Too
Twitches Too2007
6.6
Family
View
6.6
Think Like a Dog
Think Like a Dog2020
5.6
Action
View
5.6
Darkman II: The Return of Durant
Darkman II: The Return of Durant1995
7
Family
View
7
Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew
Pokémon: Lucario and the Mystery of Mew2005
6.9
Animation
View
6.9
Secret Magic Control Agency
Secret Magic Control Agency2021
6
Action
View
6
Welcome to Sudden Death
Welcome to Sudden Death2020
6.2
Family
View
6.2
The Return of Jafar
The Return of Jafar1994
7.9
Action
View
7.9
WrestleMania 37: Night 1
WrestleMania 37: Night 12021
6.1
Horror
View
6.1
Return of the Fly
Return of the Fly1959
6.3
Comedy
View
6.3
Just Say Yes
Just Say Yes2021
7.5
Drama
View
7.5
Dara of Jasenovac
Dara of Jasenovac2020
6.7
TV Movie
View
6.7
A Royal Christmas
A Royal Christmas2014
6.2
Crime
View
6.2
In for a Murder
In for a Murder2021
7.5
Animation
View
7.5
Spider-Man: The Return of the Green Goblin
Spider-Man: The Return of the Green Goblin2002
6.5
Romance
View
6.5
Return to Christmas Creek
Return to Christmas Creek2018
6.5
Drama
View
6.5
The Tender Bar
The Tender Bar2021
5.4
Romance
View
5.4
Christmas Wedding Planner
Christmas Wedding Planner2017
6.8
Family
View
6.8
The Princess Switch: Switched Again
The Princess Switch: Switched Again2020
7.6
Action
View
7.6
Inuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass
Inuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass2002
© 2025 MoovieTime. All rights reserved.Made with Nuxt