Keeley Hawkes and Hugh Bonneville are decent as the actor and children's author whose daughter died aged seven, but there is no real howl of pain; "To Olivia" is cushioned by its own carefully managed good taste
both Hugh Bonneville and Keeley Hawes are perfectly cast; take this for what it is, a glimpse at a specific time in the couple's life, and this is a well-acted, moving portrayal of loss and grief
at times, it feels like a cop-out; True, grief is universal -- but "To Olivia" never embraces the fact that stories draw their power from specificity. It's what makes them feel real
a well-intentioned biopic about a little-discussed but pivotal moment for both artists. If it's never transcendent, it at least offers charming child performances, and Keeley Hawes is a particularly good fit as Patricia Neal
"To Olivia" still fails on its own terms, because everything it's saying about the Roald Dahls' recovery and artistic regrowth rests on a blatant manipulation of the biographical truth
"To Olivia" is anchored by two excellent, understated leading performances from Hugh Bonneville and Keeley Hawes, even if the script may have benefited from a fuller rumination on love and loss
"To Olivia" has many of the hallmarks of a classy British drama, but given the calibre of the actors and meatiness of the material it could have been so much more
by Peter Bradshaw [The Guardian ]
