The Story of Leonard and Hungry Paul Review: A Gentle Comedy Narrated by Julia Roberts Offers a Great Remedy to Contemporary Living

In a calm suburb of the Irish capital, a person can be found on the pavement, dressed in a sleeveless jumper and expressing his thoughts. “I feel myself getting quieter. Harder to see,” remarks the protagonist, looking up at the night sky. “Events have unfolded and at this point I believe without a change, I’ll just carry on in this quiet, unremarkable life.” Paul, Leonard’s best and only friend, reflects on the idea. “Nothing wrong with that,” he replies, his bathrobe swaying in the breeze. “Superior to trying to make a mark and ending up damaging things.”

For anyone exhausted by the bluster and fast pace of current streaming landscape, this series arrives similar to a foil blanket with a hot drink of a sweet cordial.

Like its quiet characters, the series – a six-episode program developed by its authors, inspired by the novelist’s quiet story – takes a dim view on contemporary society; peering disapprovingly over its eyewear on everything related to unnecessary noise, quick actions or – perish the thought – excessive aspiration. The program rather, a tribute to quiet people; a quiet celebration to people happy to wander away from attention. And yet. He (one more distinctly original portrayal from the star) is unsettled. He notices a growing “desire to unlock the openings within my world … just a bit.” The recent death of his mother has yanked the floor from under his slippers and the 32-year-old, a ghost writer, now realizes reconsidering the decisions which led him to where he is (alone; defensively moustached; creating multiple kids' reference books for a boss who ends messages with the phrase “ciao for now”).

And so Leonard starts himself on a quest to find happiness, with the slightly bolder friend Paul (Laurie Kynaston) acting as his close companion, mentor and partner during their regular gaming session that serves both as debate (“Is the pool warm due to children urinating, or do kids pee in it as it's heated?”) and refuge.

(Why “Hungry” Paul? It's unclear. The source of this name seems forgotten to the mists of time. It could be that Paul on one occasion consumed a sandwich very fast, or reacted to a tense moment by hastily opening some food items by biting into them).

Entering Leonard's quiet life comes Shelley (the actress), a fresh spring-loaded colleague who cheerily offers to get rid of Leonard’s appalling boss (Paul Reid) during the office fire drill. The swift movement audible represents Leonard's calm life being turned upside down.

In another part in the initial show of this program focused less on story and more by what the under-30s may refer to as “vibes”, viewers encounter the older generation (the consistently great the performer), a worn-out individual who secretly watches, saves and reviews trivia competitions to dazzle his loving spouse using his trivia skills.

Guiding the audience throughout this minor-key niceness we hear a narrator that sounds very much like – and, indeed, very much is – Julia Roberts. Indeed, the star. If you are thinking, “surely the presence of such a famous actor contradicts the program's low-key style and initially serves only as a distraction?” you're right. However, the actress performs admirably, and lines like “Leonard’s problem is the missing a ‘eureka’ face” contribute to ensuring that first reservations give way if not quite to appreciation, then at minimum tolerance.

But that’s enough grumbling at this time. Leonard and Hungry Paul’s heart is in the right place: which is “located on a seat alongside similar shows, indicating its favourite duck.” The program that ambles along in comfortable attire, at times staring at the stars, occasionally down toward the ground, serenely certain that nothing is in life as heartening as spending time with dear pals.

Unlock the entryways within your world, just a bit, and allow it entry.