Mr. Burton (dir. Marc Evans)

by Jack Martin | Apr 6, 2025

Certificate: 12A

Running Time: 124 mins

UK Distributor: Icon Film Distribution

UK Release Date: 4 April 2025

WHO’S IN MR. BURTON?

Harry Lawtey, Toby Jones, Lesley Manville, Steffan Rhodri, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Aneurin Barnard, Daniel Evans

WHO’S BEHIND THE CAMERA?

Marc Evans (director), Josh Hyams (writer, producer), Tom Bullough (writer), Trevor Matthews, Ed Talfan and Hannah Thomas (producers), John Hardy (composer), Stuart Biddlecombe (cinematographer), Tim Hodges (editor)

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

In 1942, a teacher (Jones) takes a young Richard Burton (Lawtey) under his wing…

WHAT ARE MY THOUGHTS ON MR. BURTON?

The late Welsh icon Richard Burton was widely known for three things: being one of the world’s greatest actors; his high-profile love affair with Elizabeth Taylor; and his fondness for heavy drinking. All three elements – even Taylor, who contributes the quote that opens the film – are present in one form or another in Mr. Burton, an origin story of sorts for the actor that doesn’t completely sideline his vices – because then it would just be outright dishonest – but gently nudges them over to make room for a slightly more intimate tale of the man who ended up creating Richard Burton.

That man is Philip Burton (Toby Jones), a teacher in the Welsh town of Port Talbot in 1942, where he happens to have a young Richard Jenkins (Harry Lawtey) as one of his pupils. While Mr. Burton lives alone with only his landlady Ma Smith (Lesley Manville) for company, young Jenkins resides within the working-class roof of his sister Cis (Aimee-Ffion Edwards) and her boorish husband Elfed (Aneurin Barnard), while doting for his drunken miner father Dic (Steffan Rhodri) who doesn’t even have the decency to remember his own son when he comes to visit. Their worlds collide when Burton discovers a fiery passion for performing within his student and invites Jenkins to participate in the local community theatre troupe, where he gets the acting bug and calls upon his elder to teach him the ropes. So begins a tumultuous relationship between teacher and student, which eventually sees the latter adopting the former’s surname as he slowly transforms into Richard Burton himself.

In a slightly unexpected comparison, Mr. Burton is the film that last year’s The Apprentice wasn’t. Both focus on an experienced mentor showing his young protégé – who would go on to become one of the world’s most recognisable faces – how to do things the way he would do them, though this one is by far more palatable, because at least it isn’t showing said protégé becoming a full-on monster that’s nigh-on impossible to sympathise with (or, at least, not to the extent that Donald Trump was portrayed). Instead, director Marc Evans approaches this story with an old-fashioned tenderness that maintains the pleasant qualities of a BBC miniseries while still managing to sneak in some cinematic shots, courtesy of Stuart Biddlecombe’s pleasant cinematography. The gentleness of Evans’s direction ensures that, unlike The Apprentice, you empathise with both parties as one passes on their knowledge and wisdom onto the other, with the results in this case thankfully creating someone who isn’t about to plunge the United States into yet another recession.

Trump-bashing aside (though I will always find an excuse to do so whenever the opportunity arises), the script by Tom Bullough and Josh Hyams also injects a profound Welsh identity into the story, with characters often conversing in the local language and a striking use of local scenery to drive home the beauty of the area. With the movie being filmed primarily in Burton’s hometown of Pontrhydyfen, there is some idyllic imagery that feels true to the legendary actor’s soul, avoiding full romanticisation on the level of How Green Was My Valley but not being too gritty for its more mature target audience to be put off.

Of course, the decision to cast non-Welsh actors like Toby Jones and Harry Lawtey as these two highly iconic Welshmen is a little distracting, but their performances are good enough to overlook the sometimes-non-existent accent, particularly Jones who otherwise it’s nice to see leading a film like this every now and then. Lawtey, though, is the one most will be keeping their eyes on, and although he does nail Richard Burton’s stoic gravitas, especially in later scenes, what’s most impressive is his ability to embody the careful soul of the actor without resorting to full-on impersonation. As you see the character go from this confused and somewhat gullible young man to the focused, hard-drinking persona we all remember him for, Lawtey keeps a steady grip on the pathos that his take on Burton endures throughout, which keeps him a fascinating figure to watch, even when he treats certain people with less respect than they deserve.

It might be too treacly for some hoping for a much more hardened look at Richard Burton’s early years, but as a reminder that even the brightest talent can be found in the least likely of places – and under an equally unlikely tutelage – Mr. Burton is pleasant entertainment for both fans of the actor and those who may not have heard of him before.

SO, TO SUM UP…

Mr. Burton is a pleasant if slightly treacly look at the early years of legendary actor Richard Burton, which boasts strong cinematography, a proud Welsh identity and an impressive central performance by Harry Lawtey to overcome some of its standard drama.