Period Dramas
My older sister came for a visit this last week. She's kept my mother and I rather busy. She's got a rather demanding personality and when we don't stop everything and cater to her. . .well, she tends to pout and tell us: "You don't love me. Nobody loves me." Frankly it's sometimes easier to give in than fight; especially as she's certainly pregnant with her first child.
To unwind after her visit, I decided to spend the last couple of days searching YouTube and watching some of my favorite period dramas (as well as discovering a few new ones). I have to say it's put me in the mood for even more dramas. Sadly I think I've seen everything.
Tess of the D'Ubervilles from 1998. It's one of my favorites. After I watched the series (in 2000) I went out and read the novel; both are still up there in my favorites. It's full of so much angst and sadness and it's just brilliantly done. The thing I really love about this one is the way they show Tess' relationships with the two men. And the way she tries so hard to not give into Angel, but of course. . .they are meant to be. And of course it ends terribly. (Honestly I always boo a bit at Angel for his double standard at Tess.)
North & South from 2004. I am in love with this mini-series. It's got some flawed characters and I love that. Sometimes I grow very bored with the 'perfect' heroines and the heroes who are just a bit too stuffy. But here you have two flawed people meeting and growing; seeing the different sides of their issues. Plus, the side characters are brilliant - it's a story about people and class and. . .I wish I could watch it again. (Plus: Richard Armitage is perfect! Why doesn't he get more roles?)
Wives and Daughters from 2001. I've never seen this one before, but thought I'd give it a go. I do have a soft spot for Justine Waddell, after all. I have to honestly say I was a bit disappointed in this one. I'm not saying I hated it, because I didn't. I just didn't like it as much as I thought I would. The characters are alright (though Molly got on my nerves a bit. And the love story felt off some how), but the overall plot felt all over the place. I think it's because the novel was unfinished. Or maybe there was just too much going on for three episodes.
The Way We Live Now from 2002. Another new one. I've seen bits and pieces of it before, but never watched the whole thing. I spent a lot of time watching this thinking: "Oh, it's so-and-so from. . ." It's like the casting agent got everyone whose ever been in a BBC mini series and put them all together. I think it's acted wonderfully and the cinematography is beautiful. BUT, it felt overlong and by the end became a bit too redundant.
Daniel Deronda from 2003 is another one that I've watched bits and pieces of before. Honestly I felt this was more Gwendolyn's story than Daniel's. I've read that the novel is more or less the same, but events are told in a different order. (Daniel meeting Mirah happens before he meets Gwendolyn in the novel.) I liked and didn't really like this one. I felt some of the casting was questionable or maybe some of the characters were written awkwardly. I felt for Gwendolyn, but never really liked her as a character. I thought Daniel was kind enough, but never really thought of him as the hero of the piece. I liked Mirah, but I didn't feel we got to know her outside of being Daniel's love interest. I didn't really understand why Gwendolyn loved Daniel nor did I see anyone falling in love with anyone. The story of Daniel discovering his roots was good, but it didn't pull me in.
To unwind after her visit, I decided to spend the last couple of days searching YouTube and watching some of my favorite period dramas (as well as discovering a few new ones). I have to say it's put me in the mood for even more dramas. Sadly I think I've seen everything.
Tess of the D'Ubervilles from 1998. It's one of my favorites. After I watched the series (in 2000) I went out and read the novel; both are still up there in my favorites. It's full of so much angst and sadness and it's just brilliantly done. The thing I really love about this one is the way they show Tess' relationships with the two men. And the way she tries so hard to not give into Angel, but of course. . .they are meant to be. And of course it ends terribly. (Honestly I always boo a bit at Angel for his double standard at Tess.)
North & South from 2004. I am in love with this mini-series. It's got some flawed characters and I love that. Sometimes I grow very bored with the 'perfect' heroines and the heroes who are just a bit too stuffy. But here you have two flawed people meeting and growing; seeing the different sides of their issues. Plus, the side characters are brilliant - it's a story about people and class and. . .I wish I could watch it again. (Plus: Richard Armitage is perfect! Why doesn't he get more roles?)
Wives and Daughters from 2001. I've never seen this one before, but thought I'd give it a go. I do have a soft spot for Justine Waddell, after all. I have to honestly say I was a bit disappointed in this one. I'm not saying I hated it, because I didn't. I just didn't like it as much as I thought I would. The characters are alright (though Molly got on my nerves a bit. And the love story felt off some how), but the overall plot felt all over the place. I think it's because the novel was unfinished. Or maybe there was just too much going on for three episodes.
The Way We Live Now from 2002. Another new one. I've seen bits and pieces of it before, but never watched the whole thing. I spent a lot of time watching this thinking: "Oh, it's so-and-so from. . ." It's like the casting agent got everyone whose ever been in a BBC mini series and put them all together. I think it's acted wonderfully and the cinematography is beautiful. BUT, it felt overlong and by the end became a bit too redundant.
Daniel Deronda from 2003 is another one that I've watched bits and pieces of before. Honestly I felt this was more Gwendolyn's story than Daniel's. I've read that the novel is more or less the same, but events are told in a different order. (Daniel meeting Mirah happens before he meets Gwendolyn in the novel.) I liked and didn't really like this one. I felt some of the casting was questionable or maybe some of the characters were written awkwardly. I felt for Gwendolyn, but never really liked her as a character. I thought Daniel was kind enough, but never really thought of him as the hero of the piece. I liked Mirah, but I didn't feel we got to know her outside of being Daniel's love interest. I didn't really understand why Gwendolyn loved Daniel nor did I see anyone falling in love with anyone. The story of Daniel discovering his roots was good, but it didn't pull me in.