Mainstreams cinema's greatest travesty is to iron everything to the prejudices and the nostrums of its audience. This movie represents the worst example of that deceit. While it is resembles the Orwell book – mostly – it dissembles to contrive a vapid story of a self-important egotist who settles for the great sweep of conventional life.Whether Comstock is a sympathetic or not is not material; he is a mostly an odious bore who believes he is a some sort of agnostic St Francis, but his characterization serves a purpose, which Orwell had a theme in his works. Here that is all dissolved into an irrelevant tale of a martinet who sees himself in the same company as great writers. The production satisfies in the genre of a BBC series of a 'big book' from the English canon. The design is present, as are the actors, thought the photography is bland and lit too similarly. Not to dark; not too bright; it's managed to ensure it is nice enough for an audience that last saw deep contrast at least thirty years previously.The real signature that this film is offensive is that awful song by the maestro of Wombles music. The utterly cretinous lyrics, the simpering idiocy of the music is enough to assure anyone that the filmmakers had not the same impetus in telling this story as the original author had in writing it.

I am no fan of George Orwell but this is definitely his most worthwhile contribution to the world. 'Keep the Aspidistra Flying' is ultimately an honest and revealing allegory for Orwell's life as a champagne socialist.Whilst wry, upbeat and iconoclastic for the middle class audience, it gives away Orwell's somewhat patronizing outlook on social class: "I 'ave a baff Once a year whevva I need one or not!". Despite my desperate dislike of what he stands for Comstock is an attractive character and the film dreadfully amusing! Wonderfully acted out by Richard E. Grant as per his brilliant self.Perhaps the best of a bad author.

this seemed an odd combination of Withnail and I with A Room with a View.. sometimes it worked, other times it did not. tragedy that they changed the name for the US release though.. Keep the Apidistra Flying is much better than the nothing title A Merry War. acting was okay, script was okay.. overall it was a mediocre film..

No one is better at pontificating while poking fun at themselves than the English, and if you enjoy that sort of thing, this movie is definitely worth watching. Along the way you get to sneer at wealth, poverty, capitalists, communists, the bourgeoisie and proletariat, business, respectability, advertising, poetry, bookstores and readers, hardy plants, loathsome but endearing friends, parasitic siblings, impatient lovers, and self-delusion. All of this comes with an intelligent script, quality acting, and personalities you've met before and would like to meet again. A gleeful romp for those who don't take themselves or their ambitions too seriously, who find sadistic humor distasteful, and who tire quickly of nude/bathroom/body fluid jokes.