Sandra Goldbacher

I always loved the book 'Ballet Shoes' by Noel Streatfeild, so wasn't entirely sure what to expect from a made-for-TV film of less than 90 minutes . The story is about three adopted sisters who are determined to make their mark on the world: Pauline as an actress, Petrova as a pilot, and Posy as a dancer.

Emma Watson (best known as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter movies) plays Pauline, the eldest of the Fossil children. There were other well-known faces in this film, including Victoria Wood who wasn't entirely convincing as Nana.

Although, inevitably, a fair amount of the book was condensed or cut out, the storyline mostly stuck to what's in the book; the three sisters were very good, with Posy outstanding as a promising ballet dancer. I wasn't too impressed at a light romance being thrown in at the end - decidedly NOT in the book! - but that kind of thing appears to be compulsory, even in children's films these days.

Still, worth watching for a light evening's entertainment. The sets and atmosphere of London in the 1940s were very realistic.… (meer)