Had the creators and the producers of 84 CHARING CROSS ROAD decided to make this a more experimental movie I believe they would have succeeded because the nature of the relationship between Helen Hanff and Frank Doel suggests a Brechtian tableau. Instead, a more direct view was the result, and this is the movie that made it into theatres. However, it's a well-made feature, with Anthony Hopkins as usual portraying a man with a deep inner world that does not include his wife played by Dame Judi Dench (who back then was mainly known in her country and barely known here), and Anne Bancroft playing a woman with a singular temperament without going overboard or chewing scenery. One glaring minus is the repeated use of voice-overs, but that I believe would have been the only way to construct a narrative of what was mainly two decades worth of correspondence. It, overall, is a hard sell, but one that deserves a peek even if to complete both leads' filmographies. On a side note, this movie was produced by Mel Brooks, who also produced David Lynch's THE ELEPHANT MAN, a film which also starred Bancroft and Hopkins who also did not share significant screen time with each other.
Review of 84 Charing Cross Road
