adonis98-743-186503 An American widow finds unexpected love with a man living wild on Hampstead Heath when they take on the developers who want to destroy his home. Hampstead is a film with heart and has 2 great and terrific perfomances from Diane Keaton and Brendan Gleeson. The film is simple and even tho it's romantic it has some great and dramatic scenes that definitely had an impact on me and i honestly would suggest it to audiences who want to see something different and simple. (A+)

phd_travel There are some charming moments mostly provided by Diane Keaton. The cemetery looks quaint and historic. It's mildly interesting how a squatter in a public park can get rights to land - a rather dumb rule of law in England. But if those are the highlights then there isn't enough substance for a movie. Brendan Gleeson is just too Santa Claus looking to be a romantic lead - considering he is a lot younger than Diane Keaton in real life. Their romance is totally unconvincing. Also Diane's character is kind of annoying and an ungrateful friend. It's not her friend's duty to tell he about her husband's infidelities. Not a must watch.

Paul Guest Superficially this film looks like a cross between 'Notting Hill' (for older people) and 'The Lady in the Van'. Below the surface, however, it is surprisingly substantial and even has some political implications.I'd been expecting to like it simply for its local colour, which indeed is quite plentiful. Apart from the Heath, there are shots of Hampstead High Street, Flask Walk, some side roads and courts, and even (briefly) the 18th-century painter George Romney's house on Holly Bush Hill.The film has been accused of making Hampstead look permanently sunny. In fact, when Emily Walters (Diane Keaton) first appears there is heavy rain outside. Admittedly the weather brightens by the time she befriends Donald Horner (Brendan Gleeson). These, then, may be examples of the pathetic fallacy, or may not.Emily first sees Donald, symbolically, from a distance while surveying the local area with binoculars. The relationship between them develops in a fairly complex way. This is dramatically satisfying, and so is the underlying tension between Emily and Fiona (Lesley Manville), hypocritical cheerleader of Emily's fellow residents. When Emily eventually loses patience with her, she reveals a steely side beneath her previous passivity.In siding with Donald against the odious snobs in her block of flats, she certainly isn't passive. They are both outsiders: she as an American widow faced with finding a smaller home, he with his shack on the Heath. Though severely stigmatised by the local snobs, he is quite harmless. As he says, "I've always gone out of my way to keep out of the way." This is a plea to 'live and let live' and thus for tolerance. He scores a surprising victory in the end, though, in fighting for his home – like the late Harry Hallowes, the 'hermit' of Hampstead Heath on whom he is modelled.Some critics seem to have thought the role of Donald unworthy of Brendan Gleeson. The actor, however, clearly respected his role and took it seriously. He "liked the idea that in a 'fairy tale love story' there was still room to consider vital issues over ownership of land, house prices and whether it is possible to live outside what society considers 'normal' today." And he remarks, "The idea of providing or withdrawing shelter from someone in order to make money is just a crazy way of living." islingtontribune.com/article/brendan-gleeson-on-a-heath-fairy-tale Gleeson does point out one limitation to the film: "There had to be an element of antisepticness applied when we made (Donald's) home – we couldn't make it like Harry's, really." Even so, it is truly shocking to see, at one point, that his home has been vandalised.Sadly, James Norton's role as Emily's son Philip isn't so worthy of him. Philip seems to serve no real purpose, except for disapproving of his mother's plans. He plays a slightly comic role in one brief scene, when Donald suddenly appears before him and Emily just after having a bath. This, however, looks suspiciously similar to Spike's (Rhys Ifans) shock appearance before the paparazzi in 'Notting Hill'.So Norton is under-used but Diane Keaton, Brendan Gleeson and Lesley Manville all give strong and memorable performances. It's too easy to sneer at 'Hampstead'. One reviewer calls it a "ghastly faux-mance" and remarks that the musical score "sounds like it was ripped from a feature-length insurance ad." I think the film and the score deserve better.

scottingram The new drama film Hampstead starring Brendan Gleeson, Diane Keaton, James Norton, Jason Watkins.In Hampstead an American widow Emily Walters (American actress Diane Keaton - The Godfather films, Father Of The Bride films) finds unexpected love with a man Donald Horner (Republic Of Ireland actor Brendan Gleeson - Mission: Impossible 2, Edge Of Tomorrow and the father of Republic Of Ireland actors Domhnall Gleeson and Brian Gleeson) living wild on Hampstead Heath in London the capital of England when they take on the developers who want to destroy his home.Amongst the other actors / actresses in Hampstead includes English actor James Norton (UK TV Series Grantchester, Rush) as Philip Walters Emily's son, English actor Jason Watkins (UK TV Series Trollied and Line Of Duty) as James Smythe an accountant and a musician who is friends with Emily Walters and Philip Walters, English actress Lesley Manville (Maleficent, Mr. Turner) as Fiona Emily's friend, English actor Simon Callow (Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls, Amadeus) as a Judge, English actor Alistair Petrie (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Rush) as Steve Crowley, English actor Hugh Skinner (UK TV Series The Windsors and Poldark) as Erik, English actress Rosalind Ayres (Titanic, Black Beauty) as Susan, English actor Brian Protheroe (UK TV Series 55 Degrees North and Holby City) as Rory, English actor Will Smith not the black Will Smith since this one is white (UK TV Series The Thick Of It, Paddington) as Leon Rowlands, John Sackville (The Hoarder, The Wedding Date) as The Housing Minister, Peter Singh (Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, UK TV Series In The Club) as Xaviar and Stavros Demetraki (Dracula Untold, Risen) as David.Overall Hampstead is a good drama film filled with drama, sadness, tough hard harsh times, fall outs, family, friendship, togetherness, London people, communities, fishing, lakes, forests, people coming together to support each other, cemeteries, music, musical instruments, love and other things throughout the film.So I will give Hampstead an overall rating of 3 out of 5 stars and Hampstead is worth seeing if you like British drama films like The Sense Of An Ending or any other films along the same lines.So if you get the chance to see Hampstead in the cinema then you should go and see it sooner than later.