Ethel And Ernest

At times the movie threatens to melt into a pool of bulldog nostalgia, but it's rescued by a wealth of authentic social detail, especially as the young couple keep a stiff upper lip during World War II.

As a tribute to two good people, and to their generation of Britons, it's gently poignant.

Ethel And Ernest is irresistible.

The animation style is appealing and unthreatening, but the film lacks the beguiling magic of The Snowman or the thematic potency of When the Wind Blows.

Briggs's humanism and pacifism are the baselines here, and both the narrative and visuals keep finding ways to illustrate the uncertainties of wartime.

Brought delightfully to life by the ever- incredible Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent, Ethel & Ernest is a poignant and delicate tribute to Raymond's parents and times past.

The overall effect remains sincere and heart-warming, buoyed by ever-cheery vocal performances from Brenda Blethyn and Jim Broadbent.

Ethel & Ernest is the kind of contemplative grown-up animation that the Japanese have been making for decades but the British have never fully embraced. That's our loss because the format can make for deceptively powerful filmmaking.

A lovely and poignant animated adaptation of Raymond Briggs's picture book biography of his eponymous working class parents.

A modest, engaging feature that is as warm and welcome as a nice cup of tea.

Something about the familiarity of these voices, and their inescapable Mike Leigh-ishness in this setting, turns out to be exactly what the roles need.

It's an engaging film, but it leaves you with a feeling that there might be a deeper, darker, more specific story yet to be told.