Thanks to them being shown every Christmas on TV,I can't remember an X-mas where I've not seen at least one of the classic adaptations of Raymond Briggs's books. With the films that were shown during the holidays about to be removed,I looked out for anything I missed,and found out about a brand new Briggs adaptation,which led to me going to meet Ethel and Ernest.The plot:Meeting in the 1920's,Lady Maid Ethel falls in love with a milkman called Ernest. Settling down in London,Ethel and Raymond Briggs have a child called Raymond. Whilst going about their daily lives, Ernest hears on the radio that Hitler has gained power in Germany. View on the film:Opening with a live action intro from Briggs,writer/director Roger Mainwood gives the title an incredibly warm,intimate atmosphere,drawn from immaculate animation painted with an expert mix of detailed designs for the house that the couple spend their life in,and light watercolours, emulating the melancholy of a fading photo. Witnessing the couple go from the fears of WWII to the swinging 60's,Mainwood delicately plays the score/background noises to land on each era,from the radio announcement of the UK being at war with Nazi Germany,to the feel-good anthems of the post-war years.Staying close to Briggs's original book,the screenplay by Mainwood gives Ernest & Ethel an exquisite sense of humour,with gentle one liners displaying how relaxed,and loved up they are with each other. Ending on an incredibly heart wrenching moment,Mainwood finds a Poignancy in the earthy daily life of the couple, shining from Ernest having to black out the windows during air raids,to Ernest and Ethel (brilliantly voiced with a rustic grit by Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent ) becoming aware of the passage of time,as they see their only son Raymond leave for art collage,from where he would later pay tribute to his parents:Ethel and Ernest.

ETHEL & ERNEST is the latest screen adaptation of a Raymond Briggs graphic novel, following on from the age-old classics like THE SNOWMAN and FATHER Christmas. While this outing can't hold a candle to the best of the Briggs productions, it's well worth a look for fans of the author. The interesting thing about ETHEL & ERNEST is that it's a true story, an autobiographical account of the lives of Briggs's parents in the middle part of the 20th century.The story is kept deliberately small scale and charts everyday life in a realistic way. I liked the way that it's deliberately set in a single house for the most part, but in this house we witness the great events of the 20th century play out, mostly thanks to the newspapers and wireless. The characters of the married couple are kept very realistic and down to earth, and I suppose that's what counts. I didn't care for the casting of Broadbent or Blethyn in the roles: these are two overexposed actors whose voices are so recognisable that they spoil the effect; unknown voice actors would have been much better. The animation of the characters is also very modern, although the backgrounds are excellently detailed.

Ethel & Ernest is a tribute by author Raymond Briggs to his working class parents. Both meet in 1928, Ethel who is older, is a maid to a wealthy family. Ernest, a milkman who is 5 years her junior waves at her every day and then one day brings her flowers and asks her out.Ernest is a Labour supporter, Ethel believe that the toffs are born to rule and is a Conservative. They get married and Ernest saves enough money to put down a deposit for a house and get a mortgage. Eventually little Raymond arrives but they could not have anymore children. When war breaks out Raymond is sent to the country where he would be away from the bombing raids.After the war, Ernest cheers on the creation of the welfare state but ongoing rationing places a strain. As Raymond gets older, he does his bit in National Service and later goes to art school and insists on having long hair.The film becomes more episodic as we go through the swinging sixties and eventually to their old age. Ernest, ever the optimist, although it dawns on him that as a manual worker, he was always relatively low paid (he finds out that Raymond could earn just as much as him by working one day in art school) but he did manage to buy a house in London and eventually purchased a car.A charming animated film of two people in love and coping with events but also a social history of the twentieth century. Lovely voice work from Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent.

Having watched all Raymond Briggs films i was very surprised to find that another one was made and luckily i just managed to watch it as i did not know it was being aired within the Christmas period 2016.I have enjoyed Snowman, The Father Christmas, When the Wind blows and more and watched when i was a child.I now watch these same films with my children. If you have watched the films before this then you know it'll be an excellent film. This film like the others offers humour,great characters and just overall great enjoyment.I might have to say that this film is now my overall favourite out of the Briggs films. It has humour,cosy English culture but also a sad realism.Based in the era of my grand parents it was nice to see how they were back then living a similar life.As based on true events it was a sad film but very interesting as it was factual.Overall i loved it,my partner and kids loved it.Its a great film for all ages and new and old fans of Raymond Briggs.Ill definitely be getting this on Blu ray.