Set Fire to the Stars **** (2014, Elijah Wood, Celyn Jones, Kelly Reilly) – Movie Review

Elijah Wood stars as aspiring American poet John M Brinnin, who has his orderly world shaken up in 1950s New York when he embarks on a week-long retreat in a remote cabin to save his arrogant, hell-raising famous Welsh poet hero, Dylan Thomas (Celyn Jones) from booze and career destruction. Literary professor Brinnin brings raging alcoholic Thomas to perform in New York but he leaves behind a trial of destruction, while teaching Brinnin about the art of poetry.

Set Fire to the Stars is quirky and entertaining, as well as a real style object, glorious looking in black and white, with lovely period artefacts and backdrops.

Wood is excellent in a tricky role, Jones is ideal and Kelly Reilly, while Shirley Henderson and especially Steven Mackintosh as the unpleasant academic character Jack, Brinnin’s boss, give first-class support to the stars.

Dylan Thomas emerges entertainingly as the legendary pain he always appears to have been.

A beautiful debut feature film from TV veteran director Andy Goddard, with the engrossing and thoughtful screenplay written by him and actor Jones, based on the early part of Brinnin’s 1957 memoir Dylan Thomas in America. Astonishingly, it was filmed entirely on location in Swansea.

© Derek Winnert 2014 Movie Review

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com/