Category: Drama - Feature Film-drama - Movie - Television
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DVD North & South
North & South is a splendid, four-hour adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's 19th century novel about an unlikely, and somewhat star-crossed, love between a middle-class young woman from England's cultivated south and an intemperate if misunderstood industrialist in a hardscrabble, northern city. Daniela Denby-Ashe plays Margaret Hale, forthright and strong-willed daughter of a former vicar (Tim Pigott-Smith) who relocates his family from a pastoral village outside London to unforgiving, largely illiterate Milton, a factory town where John Thornton (Richard Armitage) and his mother (Sinead Cusack), survivors of poverty, rule their cotton mill with an iron hand. Thornton befriends Margaret's father but incurs her wrath for his severity with his workers. What she doesn't notice is Thornton's core sense of responsibility for his employees' welfare. On the other hand, he misinterprets some of Margaret's own actions and intentions. Equally stubborn, the two drag out their obvious attraction over many painful months and events.
North & South's two leads are both very good, though Armitage's brooding, penetrating performance may very well be considered a classic one day. There are other wonders in the cast: Cusack and Pigott-Smith are superb, and Brendan Coyle is memorable as a firebrand union organizer who ultimately becomes an ally to a softening Thornton. The miniseries script by Sandy Welch is a persuasive mix of historical context and character study. Brian Percival's direction is full of moments that linger in the imagination, such as the winter-dream look of a busy cotton mill, with thousands of snowy fibers floating in the air. --Tom Keogh
Don't confuse this with the Civil War picture of the same title...this is good stuff!
This is one BBC film that should not be missed. It's a splendid adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's book of the same title. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was my first time seeing either of the 2 main actors, but they were marvelous. This was a well-acted, well-written script, and a delicious piece. If you love British period dramas, you MUST see this film.
Wonderful!
I absolutely LOVED this movie. Not since Sense & Sensibility came out in 1995 have a loved a period piece so much.
Romance.
Finances force a young woman and her parents to move from the country to a factory town in the city in the 1800's. Life in the factory, the only job in town; management vs. the union, when times get harder.
The young woman wishes to help the poor. The young man, factory-owner to keep his business profitable. How will they come together? Each shows a character flaw that they improve; and we like them.
Noticeably consistent without poorly done scenes, keeping your interest. Pleasant even with the conflict between management and union. Does not reach the heights of "Pride and Prejudice" in humor or music; but does with romance, with a thoughtful, quiet, excellence, in the right place.
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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One of the best mystery tales of all time, The Moonstone, based on Wilkie Collins' 1868 novel, is the story of a stolen Hindu diamond that makes its way into the care of Franklin Blake (Greg Wise of Sense and Sensibility). Acting as executor of the estate of the late Colonel John Herncastle (Terrence Hardiman), Franklin is obliged to deliver the diamond, called the Moonstone, to Herncastle's niece, Rachel Verinder (Keeley Hawes of Tipping the Velvet). The two fall in love, but after the disappearance of the Moonstone, Rachel refuses to speak to Franklin or anyone else, and rebuffs an investigation by a renowned detective (Antony Sher), who suspects Rachel herself is involved with the apparent theft. The long trail to the truth is endlessly surprising, requiring the... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Robert Bierman DVD Release Date: Released the 01 November 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Andrew Davies isn't much of household name in the U.S., but he's the king of the BBC mini-series. His skillfully adapted scripts for Pride & Prejudice (the beloved Colin Firth version) and many, many more are peerless examples of classic novels done right--cunningly edited and shaped to let all the rich emotion and sharp intelligence spill over with zip and vigor. Bleak House is no exception; it's one of the best Dickens adaptations to date. The mini-series form allows Dickens' panoramic view, brimming with eccentric characters and complex turns of plot, to sprawl out without losing an iota of suspense or momentum. Two innocent young orphans (Patrick Kennedy and Carey Mulligan) are the potential heirs to a fortune, but their fates are snarled in a monumental legal battle... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Susanna White - Justin Chadwick DVD Release Date: Released the 28 February 2006 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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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... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Anthony Page DVD Release Date: Released the 19 April 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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