Period drama list A-C

~Amazing Grace (2006)~
Excellent biopic on the life of William Wilberforce, and his efforts to abolish the slave trade. A genuinely moving and inspiring story, backed up by excellent production values and a cast of wonderful British actors - including Ioan Gruffudd, Romola Garai, Michael Gambon, Benedict Cumberbatch, Rufus Sewell, and Ciaran Hinds, to name just a few! Very highly recommended. Probably not suitable for very young children, due to some mild language and violent/scary scenes - but little ones would have a hard time following the story and sitting through this, anyway. A piece of trivia for costume drama buffs - Fanny Price (Sylvestra Le Touzel) and Edmund Bertram (Nicholas Farrell) of Mansfield Park 1983 are reunited here as Henry and Marianne Thornton! Directed by Michael Apted. ****
Photo Gallery | Charity's Place | Plugged In | CT | Trailer | Period Films | Amazon | IMDb | RT | Metacritic



~The Age of Innocence (1993)~
I don't think I like Edith Wharton. Then again, I may one day have to eat my words: I'm a convert to Dickens and semi-convert to Thomas Hardy, both of whom I once professed to dislike! At any rate, this film certainly isn't one of my favourites. I found the ending very frustrating and unsatisfying. Directed by Martin Scorcese. Stars Daniel Day-Lewis; Winona Ryder, in a somewhat atypical role for her; Michelle Pfeiffer, and Miriam Margoyles. ** 12+
Photo Gallery | Charity's Place | Trailer | Period Films | Amazon | IMDb | RT | Metacritic



~Angel (2007)~
A real mess of a film - and not in a good way. It started promisingly, but ultimately failed to live up to the magic of its first ten minutes or so. There were also a couple of moral issues with the film. Worth checking out if you're a fan of Romola or Fassy. Directed by Francois Ozon. Stars Romola Garai, Michael Fassbender, Sam Neill, and Charlotte Rampling. ** YT ff 12+


~Anna Karenina (1997)~
Not the best adaptation of the book. Most of the supporting characters are not given time to develop, and the film can seem a little disjointed and confusing, particularly if you're not familiar with the story. Still, this is one the most glorious, extravagant costume dramas I have seen - the ballroom scene (and Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake Waltz) are truly breathtaking. This is also, as far as I know, the first adaptation of Anna Karenina to have been filmed on location in Russia, which adds tremendously to the look and feel of the film. The preternaturally beautiful Sophie Marceau is an interesting choice as Anna. I'm normally a fan of Sean Bean (Vronsky), but funnily enough, I didn't like him that much here. Alfred Molina, on the other hand, was simply lovely, and Mia Kirshner really grew on me as Kitty. Directed by Bernard Rose. *** YT ff 12+ 
Photo Gallery | Charity's Place | Trailer | Amazon | IMDb | RT | Youtube

~Anna Karenina (2000)~
Arguably the definitive screen adaptation of Tolstoy's classic. This appears to be one of the only versions that does justice to the stories of the "other" couples in Anna Karenina - Kitty/Levin and Dolly/Oblonsky as well as Anna and Vronsky. A compelling miniseries that deserves to be more widely known. Recommended for older teens and adults, provided you're prepared to fast-forward through a few scenes. Stars Helen McCrory, Kevin McKidd, Douglas Henshall, Paloma Baeza, Mark Strong, Amanda Root and Stephen Dillane. **** YT ff 12+
Photo Gallery | Masterpiece | Charity's Place | Amazon | IMDb | Youtube


~Anne of Green Gables (1986)~


~Anne of Green Gables - The Sequel (1988)~

Photobucket
~Ballet Shoes (2007)~
Charming adaptation of Noel Streatfeild's classic girl's book. There are a couple of issues in the movie - parents may want to preview it. More appropriate for teens than little ones. Directed by Sandra Goldbacher. Stars Emma Watson, Lucy Boynton, Yasmin Page, Emilia Fox, Eileen Atkins, Richard Griffiths, Marc Warren, Gemma Jones, Harriet Walter, and Lucy Cohu. *** 

Photobucket
~Berkeley Square (1998)~
The 1990s Downton! At least, it had the potential to be. Berkeley Square is an upstairs/downstairs-style BBC drama about three nannies working in Edwardian London. It was discontinued after just one series, so be warned - the final episode ends on a cliffhanger which will, presumably, remain eternally unresolved. Berkeley Square isn't one of my favourites, but hey, I watched the whole thing, so I must have found it adequately addictive and entertaining. If you enjoy other period drama serials such as Downton Abbey and Lark Rise to Candleford, you'll probably like this. Stars Clare Wilkie, Victoria Smurfit, Tabitha Wady, Hermione Norris, Jason O'Mara, *** ff 12+ 


~Bleak House (2005)~ 
Gripping television production of Dickens' classic novel that became something of a phenomenon when aired on the BBC in 2005. Screenwriter Andrew Davies made the unprecedented decision to divide the adaptation into fifteen 30-minute soap-length episodes, which were given a prime-time slot and aired daily. It was a ratings hits, and proved that Dickens' stories remain as thrilling and relevant today as they ever were. I personally didn't enjoy Bleak House as much as Our Mutual Friend or Little Dorrit - but that isn't to say I didn't like it! My [older] siblings and I absolutely love it - and it is eminently quotable ("Shake me up, Judy!" or "Mortifying!"). Not appropriate for little ones. Stars Gillian Anderson, Anna Maxwell Martin, Carey Mulligan, Denis Lawson, Charles Dance, Timothy West, Burn Gorman, Nathaniel Parker, Alun Armstrong, Pauline Collins, Phil Davis, and Johnny Vegas. **** 12+
Photo Gallery | Charity's Place | Eras of Elegance | Masterpiece | BBC | Trailer | Period Films | Amazon | IMDb | Metacritic | Youtube

  
~The Buccaneers (1995)~
Absolutely hated this one. Avoid at all costs. Directed by Philip Saville. Stars Carla Gugino, Alison Elliott, Mira Sorvino, Rya Kihlstedt, Greg Wise, Cherie Lunghi, Michael Kitchen, Connie Booth, James Frain, and Jenny Agutter. * ff 12+

~A Christmas Carol (2009)~
An excellent, very faithful adaptation of Dickens' classic tale. Highly recommended for teens and up, but don't let the colourful animation fool you - this movie has some very scary moments and is NOT appropriate for small children! Directed by Robert Zemeckis. Stars Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Cary Elwes, and Robin Wright.  **** 12+


~Christy (1994)~
Family-oriented drama that ran on CBS for two seasons, from 1994-1995. Inspired by the classic biographical novel by Catherine Marshall, which was in turn based on the life of Marshall's mother - the real-life "Christy", Leonora. 19-year-old Christy Huddleston feels God is calling her to the mission field. She leaves her comfortable home in Asheville, North Carolina, to work at a mission school deep in the Appalachian mountains. She dreams of doing great things for God, but soon struggles to cope as her sheltered upbringing leaves her utterly unprepared for the poverty and squalor with which she is quickly confronted. Both the book and the series meant a great deal to me as a younger teen, and I am deeply attached to Cutter Gap and its residents. I sometimes found Kellie Martin slightly irritating as Christy - I liked Christy's character much better in the book. But whilst the book is far better, I can't deny that the series was also something special. There was wonderful chemistry between all the cast, and the show had a great vibe to it. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a good family drama in the mould of Little House on the Prairie or Lark Rise to Candleford, but especially for teenage girls! Fellow Christy fans, I ship Christy/Neil. Stewart Finlay-McLennan as Neil MacNeill was amazing. Parents, there are some mature issues dealt with in a few episodes - i.e. the PG rating is warranted. I should also warn potential viewers that the show was canceled after its second series, and so ends on a cliffhanger. If you want to find out what happens afterwards (sort of. . . ), read the book. Stars Kellie Martin, Tyne Daly, Randall Batinkoff, Tess Harper, and Stewart Finlay-McLennan. **** 

~Christy - Return to Cutter Gap~
**


~Christy - A Change of Seasons~
**


~Christy - A New Beginning~
**



 
~Clarissa (1991)~
The word that best sums up my reaction to this series: claustrophobia. Clarissa is dark, disturbing, depressing, and ultimately tragic. Recommended only for mature viewers with: a.) an interest in 18th century literature b.) an interest in the works of Samuel Richardson or c.) an interest in Sean Bean. Directed by Robert Bierman. Stars Saskia Wickham, Sean Bean, Hermione Norris, and Lynsey Baxter. Also features period drama regulars Shirley Henderson and Lucy Robinson. ** ff 12+


~Cold Comfort Farm 1995~
**** YT ff 12+


~Cranford~

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)