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DVD Middlemarch
The BBC has raised the mini-series to an astonishing creative peak. A prime example is the 1994 production of Middlemarch, based on the classic novel by George Eliot, which juxtaposes morals and money, grand ambitions with petty jealousies, and pursuits of the mind with bodily needs. A handsome young doctor named Lydgate (Douglas Hodge, Vanity Fair) comes to the provincial town of Middlemarch to start a new hospital; a headstrong young woman named Dorothea (Juliet Aubrey, The Mayor of Casterbridge) yearns to contribute to the greater good of the world. These idealists enter into marriages that derail all their intentions and lead them into lives they never imagined. The network of characters in this six-episode program, ranging up and down the societal ladder, create an intricate and utterly engrossing narrative as well as a magnificent recreation of life on the cusp of the Industrial Revolution. The cast, from the largest to the smallest roles, is impeccable. When a scene turns to a character you've only glimpsed before, the precision of the writing (by miniseries master Andrew Davies, Pride and Prejudice) and the vivid performances suck you into the life of this person who seemed like mere background scenery only moments before. The cumulative impact of Eliot's story will leave you gasping at its brilliant balance of romance and reality. Performers include creepy Patrick Malahide (The Singing Detective) and sexy Rufus Sewell (Dark City) among the familiar faces of dozens of inspired character actors. Don't let the literary pedigree of Middlemarch scare you off--the plot is as juicy as a soap opera, with a psychological fullness that makes every dramatic turn all the more gripping. --Bret Fetzer
This is one DVD my husband and I devoured. SO many plots and story lines all intertwined to make a great storyline. I have just purchased the book as I liked the movie so much.
I gave it four stars. I would have given it five if it had a few less swear words. They were mild, but I really enjoy watching shows such as "Pride and Prejudice" which keep crass language to a minimum. It is not as bad, however, as Vanity Fair. THe musical score was great which is something I always enjoy in these BBC shows, and something in which I was greatly dissappointed in "Vanity Fair."
This really is a captivating story and a well done program. Great price as well for the number of hours of enjoyable television.
Fantastic A+ Production, poorly transferred to DVD
This is one of my all-time favorite BBC productions. I have given it my highest recommendation to friends and family, most importantly because every frame looks like a Vermeer or Rembrant. Add that to the brilliant performances, and engaging story, I have watched it over 30 times. The reason it is only 4 stars is that this breathtaking, artistically literate cinematography was marred in the transferring to DVD... the aspect ratio was changed, making everything slightly longer and narrower than in the video. It is frustrating. Sigh. To those who have not seen it before, you will probably not notice it, unless you focus on when people turn their heads in close up. My other quibble is that these DVDs do not include the really wonderful commentary done before each section in the Masterpiece Theatre presentations. Let's hope they'll add those in as a special feature in following editions. Get it in video if available. I'm still glad I have it, and it will be watched time and again.
Kara Russell
A brilliant production
A wonderful journey! This was required reading for High School Literature and though I have not read the book since then, this movie brought it all back - capturing so many of the nuances of the time and subtleties of the characters that I was completely drawn into the period again. I commend the producers on the superb cast selection. I felt afresh the agony of both Dorothea's and Lydgate's unfortunate marriages and the thinly veiled passion of Ladislaw's character. A long but thoroughly enjoyable ride. It is with pride that I add this DVD to my collection of period movies.
The first two episodes of this BBC miniseries only hint at the delights to come. A lawsuit aimed at church reform in the town of Barchester forces a decent middle-aged clergyman (the august Donald Pleasence, best known in the U.S. for the Halloween movies) into a moral crisis and a conflict with his son-in-law, a pompous archdeacon (Nigel Hawthorne, The Madness of King George). The gracefully written and acted narrative shows glimpses of dry wit--but in episode 3, the arrival of a new bishop (Clive Swift, Keeping Up Appearances), his imperious wife (Geraldine McEwan, The Magdalene Sisters), and his devious chaplain (Alan Rickman, Truly Madly Deeply, the Harry Potter movies) launches The Barchester Chronicles into a satirical power... More Info about this DVD Director(s): David Giles (III) DVD Release Date: Released the 25 January 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Misguided stepmothers, romantic betrayals, secret marriages--these are not just the makings of modern soap operas; this is what makes the BBC's delightful four-episode miniseries Wives and Daughters come to life. Sweet Molly Gibson (played artfully by Justine Waddell, who communicates more with a squint of her eyes than most actresses can with pages of dialogue) was living life pleasantly when her widowed father (Bill Paterson) decides that, for the good of his daughter, he must remarry. In comes Claire, played to screeching perfection by Francesca Annis. Molly's life is turned upside down by the usually well meaning but off-the-mark Claire, who insists on things being done the proper way. Added to the stew is Claire's beautiful, educated daughter, Cynthia (Keeley Hawes),... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Annis - Gambon - Carmichael - Waddel - Francesca Annis DVD Release Date: Released the 24 April 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Jane Eyre--the mother of all gothic romances--gets abundant passion in this 11-episode BBC miniseries. Young Sian Pattenden is wonderfully willful and impetuous; viewers will immediately identify with the child Jane as she fights against ill-treatment at the home of her aunt and at boarding school. It's a shame to see her grow up into Zelah Clarke--until Clarke asserts her own quiet yet fierce spirit. The plot really starts rolling when Jane takes a position as governess at Thornfield, a handsome estate owned by the imperious and tortured Mr. Rochester (Timothy Dalton, a few years before he became James Bond). From there, this 1983 adaptation rips through the perilous highs and devastating lows of Charlotte Bronte's powerful novel, in which the courtship of these two... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Julian Amyes DVD Release Date: Released the 19 April 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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A classic coming-of-age tale on par with Anne of Avonlea and Little Women, Berkeley Square is worth watching over and over again. This 10-episode British miniseries will awe you with its erudite script, wonderfully believable characters, high-caliber production values, meticulous Edwardian details, and topnotch acting. In fact, you will join the growing multitudes who puzzle over why the BBC decided to stop after only 10 episodes.
In 1902 three young nannies find jobs in well-to-do London households and get to know each other. Naive farm girl Lydia finds an unfamiliar world both in city life and with the progressive-thinking family who employs her. Earnest, rule-abiding Matty is a hard-working East End girl who slowly learns to loosen up. And, after a tragic affair... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Wilkie - Smurfit DVD Release Date: Released the 12 December 2000 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Novelist Anthony Trollope doesn't have the name recognition of his Victorian contemporary Charles Dickens, but he has all of Dickens's strengths and more--invigorating plots, eccentric characters bursting with life, and an insightful, panoramic view of English society. He Knew He Was Right starts with an idyllic romance between the well-off Louis Trevelyan (Oliver Dimsdale) and Emily Rowley (Laura Fraser). But when the rakish Col. Osborne (Bill Nighy, Love Actually) begins to visit her regularly, Louis becomes jealous--and the pressures of Victorian society soon turn this jealousy into an all-consuming possession that could destroy the lives of Louis, Emily, and their young son. This dark and harrowing story is deftly juxtaposed with two related tales: A blithely... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Tom Vaughan DVD Release Date: Released the 25 January 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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