Private Peaceful

"British children’s lit writer Michael Morpurgo’s work was recently dusted off for big screen treatment in the form of War Horse, an adaptation bolstered by the heft of its accomplished craftsmanship: Steven Spielberg’s directorial mastery, no-cost-spared production values, a cast of familiar faces, Janusz Kaminski’s eye-poppingly majestic cinematography, all helping to distract the viewer from what is essentially a 1940s Lassie movie, awash in old-fashioned sentimentality."

"Many of the elements that worked for Steven Spielberg's "War Horse" are present and correct in WWI drama "Private Peaceful"..."

"It's left to the leads to keep us engaged, a tall order given their film's old-fashioned, fusty feel."

"O'Connor shows his old-school expertise in the charming country childhood sequences, where the film feels most individual and alive."

"A small-scale story in essence, which works efficiently on the non-epic scale in which it's presented."

"Minor pacing gripes aside, this is a moving tale about humanity's darkest depths."

"With the feel of prestige telly, it's nicely done, sweet and moving."