Rent A Poet in New York (2014)

Dylan Thomas reincarnate - A Poet in New York review by NR

The last months of Dylan Thomas's troubled life, and his early death in 1953 in New York, provide good material for a biopic, but to be wholly convincing it needs someone who looks and sounds just like the drunken poet. (Recordings exist of his readings.) Tom Hollander fulfils this role perfectly. He not only talks like Dylan Thomas - who had a distinctive matured-in-the-barrel voice which suited his poetic, indeed melodramatic delivery, something no poet would dare try in these mumbling days - he manages to look remarkably like Thomas. (Hollander apparently put on two stone to resemble the corpulent poet.) Infuriating, amusing, exhausting and finally very sad, Hollander reincarnates Dylan Thomas in an astonishing performance. All the supporting actors are very good too, Well worth watching even if Thomas is not one of your favourite poets. If he is, you are in for a treat