For every fan of coming of age tales, this 3 hour adaptation of the
Sarah Waters novel is pure fun. Cinematic nods to Baz Luhrman's
kinetic style, as well as to all those prim and proper period pieces
ever present on the BBC (where you're likely to have seen almost
every prominent member of this cast). It's rather bawdy and over
the top in spots, but that's just what the novel called for. The cast
is appealing and, in the cases of Anna Chancellor and Hugh
Bonneville, perfect. In the case of Rachel Sterling, as our heroine
Nan, you simply must overlook the fact that she's far too pretty to
ever be mistaken for a boy and run with it. It's a fantasy, after all.
Some fans of the novel may be put out by the various changes in
character (particularly that of Jodhi May's character, Florence), but
the changes all work toward the greater good of this teleplay and
provide an overall high quality entertainment value.
Sarah Waters novel is pure fun. Cinematic nods to Baz Luhrman's
kinetic style, as well as to all those prim and proper period pieces
ever present on the BBC (where you're likely to have seen almost
every prominent member of this cast). It's rather bawdy and over
the top in spots, but that's just what the novel called for. The cast
is appealing and, in the cases of Anna Chancellor and Hugh
Bonneville, perfect. In the case of Rachel Sterling, as our heroine
Nan, you simply must overlook the fact that she's far too pretty to
ever be mistaken for a boy and run with it. It's a fantasy, after all.
Some fans of the novel may be put out by the various changes in
character (particularly that of Jodhi May's character, Florence), but
the changes all work toward the greater good of this teleplay and
provide an overall high quality entertainment value.