Daniel Deronda

M: Enjoyable BBC version of a George Elliot classic. Different from many BBC romances, because the female love interests are so very flawed, but enjoyable still. I give it 3 stars.

V: I was excited to watch it at night. These BBC miniseries are a little addicting. I found Deronda's character intriguing - though there wasn't much Deronda in "Deronda" at first. Ultimately, M & I were happy with how it was resolved - though I wasn't totally convinced. A little too Dickensian, intricately interwoven fates and all, for my liking, but still pretty enjoyable. 2 1/2 stars.

Cranford

M: This BBC mini-series is comprised of five one hour episodes. It tells the story of the inhabitants of the town of Cranford, England. I am a bit torn. This is not a romantic or exciting movie. It has enjoyable characters which are well acted, but lacks a driving storyline to keep you interested. 2 1/2 stars.

V: I give this 3 stars.

Wives and Daughters

M: Another great mini-series by the BBC. Same author and director as North and South. The characters are likable, and I thought that the leading lady, played by Justine Waddell, was great. But the leading man was not so great. Not the best romance, but a very good and enjoyable show. 3 stars.

V: We both liked this. Some very good actors. Some annoying (because they were supposed to be) characters. Really good. 3 stars

North & South, BBC

V: This is not the war mini-series. This is the love across cultural lines mini-series. And I really liked it. It's quite romantic, great leads, good chemistry, and all that. It's an interesting look at social differences and injustices. The characters are malleable and likable. It was addictive. Really well done. I had the teeniest of qualms with one scene - I would have preferred a quieter, humbler character than a rude one . . . but, I really enjoyed this, so . . . 4 stars.

M: Really good. Another great job by the BBC. Beautiful music. Beautifully made. Very real and intriguing characters. My qualm is that the hero is way to grumpy. Way to grumpy. It gets to the point that you are not convinced that he is redeemable. Still, it is a great show. I loved the mother, and the other characters, they were flawed, but real, and I liked that. I felt that the movie presented a very believable and compelling story. A great show to watch with your love. 3 1/2 stars.

Bleak House

M: This BBC mini-series based on the Dickens Novel is great. It has its super-villains, it has its heroes. Very enjoyable show. I considered giving it a 4, even though the lawyers were all absolute villains, which made me feel bad, perhaps deservedly so. Check it out at your local library. 3 1/2 stars

V: I was really drawn into this - it made for many too-late nights. (3 discs, or 4? With many episodes.) It was well-acted with many interesting, great characters. They managed to keep it from not going too far "out there" as Dickens can tend. Really enjoyable with some good lessons, too. Also 3 1/2 stars

Persuasion, BBC 1995

M: This is a much better version than the more recent BBC we watched a few weeks ago. There is really no reason to vary too much from Jane Austin's books, particularly the language, which is so good. This movie was much truer to the book, which I found great. That said, Persuasion, although brilliantly written with fascinating characters, is really not a great romance. I wasn't a huge fan of the leading man either. So this wont get the highest of marks. But it is a show worth seeing, especially if you are looking for a good adaptation of a Jane Austin classic. 3 stars.

V: Yes, much better than the other one. I'm not sure why they make the Anns so plain. I know she had "lost her youthful bloom" but she wasn't morbid looking. Anyway, don't bother with that other Persuasion. This one is quite good. Not perfect, but good. 3 stars.

Persuasion, BBC 2007

M: V and I have a little tradition of reading a Jane Austin book at the same time and, when we have finished, watching the movie, or movies, together. Persuasion is a great book, with very sharp and clever writing. We watched what I just discovered to be a 2007 tv version, 90 minutes without commercials. This version took great liberties in straying from the book. It really didn't need to. It was beautifully filmed for the most part, with a few random Blair Witch type scenes where the camera was suddenly following the action in that bouncy way, oddly out of place here. Maybe I was looking too much for variance from the book, and I am usually not such a stickler on those things, but it was distracting the way they completely changed things, and not for the better. The show was just ok. Kind of disappointed. 2 stars.

V: This was really a poor adaptation of a good book. Now, I don't think an adaptation has to strictly follow the book - see our Sense & Sensibility review (they improved on the book, and I greatly appreciated it!) The problem with this film is they ruined any suspense. What is the story? A woman finds herself meeting up again with a man she was formerly engaged to but was "persuaded" not to marry. Years have passed. We the readers/viewers want to find out 1) Does she still love him? 2) Does he still love her? 3) Will they get back together? Right? Well, they blurt the answer to #1 in the first 5 minutes. The second, they also blurt too soon. And as for the 3rd, well, of course there are impediments, but they also just blurt their way through them and keep spoiling the surprise. Will he marry so-and-so? The movie, like a bad movie friend, pats your shoulder anytime the slightest hint of the unknown arises, and tells you, "Don't worry, this is what happens . . ." I didn't care for Sir Walter, who was portrayed as caustic rather than just overly vain and foolish. Then there was this weirdness of our heroine chasing after this man -- literally chasing, in an extending running montage. Did women really do that in that place and time? And she was in high society. And then the closing scene with a "gift" that was just silly and totally unjustified by the facts of the story. I was disappointed. We've gotten our hands on another version, here's hoping it's better. I think the leading man is played by the same guy who played Col. Brandon in Sense & Sensibility. That bodes well. I'm sure it must be better than this version. 2 stars.

post-edit: nope, not col. brandon. oh well.

M: V nailed this. I absolutely agree.

Little Dorrit

M: Little Dorrit is a BBC mini-series (14 half-hour shows) that aired in 2008. We recently checked it out from the library. Based on a serial novel by Dickens, published between 1855 and 1857, this series is beautifully done and quite enjoyable. In keeping with Dickens' work, Little Dorrit contains villains that are truly villainous (one of which is annoyingly so), and heroes that are truly admirable. The villains get their comeuppance, and the heroes are rewarded.

Little Dorrit is a girl born in debtor's prison. Arthor Clennam is a wealthy man whose family has a secret he is trying to learn, but he believes it has something to do with the Dorrits, so he sets out to help them. Little Dorrit is played by Claire Foy, and Arthor Clennam is played by Mathew McFaydye, (you may know him as Mr. Darcy.) These characters where compelling, and I found myself really rooting for them. The part of Mr. Dorrit, the gentleman turned debtor turned gentleman, was played masterfully by Tom Courtenay.

Definitely worth seeing, although some of the social commentary is a bit heavy handed at time. This one eeks in at 3 1/2 stars

V: We looked forward to watching this each night. It does take a few evenings. It was well-scripted and interesting. Dickens is always good for DRAMA. Melo-drama, almost. He is a harsh critic of capitalism run amok and shows that greed and ponzi schemes were rampant in 19th century England, too. Too. Interesting that the term "class" today has a positive ring. Many scriptures ran through my mind while watching this that I could see posted at the beginning of the novel, such as "He who exalts himself shall be abased,"" . . . the last shall be first," and all that "captive made free" and "reaping what you sow" business. Well acted. Many interesting characters. Fun Dickensian tangled web stuff. Along with a few things that are spelled out for you, Hawthorne style: the Bleeding Heart Yard; The Circumlocution Office, and allusions to the House of Clennam crumbling to ruins if "the secret" ever got out. You'll have to see the movie. We enjoyed it. 3 stars