Aristocrats
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Movie Reviews of Aristocrats
Movie Review: It was a'right
Summary: 3 Stars
I like historical films and generally enjoy them, but I found Aristocrats to be merely okay. The infidelity, and the abusive wife/husband situations (such as that suffered by Sarah) were just sad. The cluelessness of the Aristocrats who had everything and yet remained ignorant of the plight of the commoner a little difficult to take. It was nice to see the costumes and the relationship of Sarah develop. Overall this was an OK series with a few shining points, but I think I'd have liked it better if I had cared more for the main characters. Most of them were tough to sympathize with.Movie Review: Gorgeous sets but unfortunately a bore
Summary: 2 Stars
I love period costume dramas and BBC miniseries and have seen a multitude of them and loved many. This unfortunately was one of the more boring ones and I came away feeling that I had wasted my time on it. All the episodes (except the last one) focus mainly on the rich spoilt lives of five aristocratic sisters, their humdrum love lives, marriages, children, inevitable family politics etc. There are very brief flashes of what is actually happening in the outer world (political-social upheavals, social unrest etc). But I guess that it is probably how it really did appear through the eyes of the five sisters who were consumed by their own lives inside their marble walls and velvet gowns.
It seemed as if the director and writers suddenly woke up in the last episode and decided that it was high time they provided some background behind the social unrest that they now needed to incorporate into the storyline. And as a result, there is a sudden change in pace and tone as the audience is abruptly taken outside this suffocating (and very boring) world of the rich, to finally see the aristocrats actually visiting their poor tenants in their hovels, and interacting with them. The finale is a mishmash of events with riots and deaths and tears and eventual acceptance. I couldnt really sympathize with any character since they all seemed equally uninteresting.
I also agree with the other reviewers that it took a while to get used to the different cast of actors who replaced the older versions of the younger characters. Never a good strategy in a long-running miniseries.
I would recommend this for die-hard fans who have to see everything that's ever been made in the period-drama genre, but if you're looking for actual entertainment, this is not it.
Movie Review: Empty Characters, Strange Pacing
Summary: 2 Stars
Based on a true story, Aristocrats follows an English aristocratic family, who claims royal blood and status via Charles II bastard lineage. The convoluted timeline in fits and starts, takes place prior to the American Revolution on through to the Irish uprising of 1798.
The story starts out interestingly enough, but at about part 3 of 6 you begin to wonder if there is a point to the story. The last 3 parts are simply depressing. More than anything, the timeline begins to rapidly fly by without any specific storyline accountability nor historical grounding. The casting is odd in general. In particular, as the characters age, the casting changes are really horrible choices that offer no consistency or context of character and plot.
If you've nothing else, you may find this a mild diversion. But all in all, this doesn't measure up to the BBC's standards.
Movie Review: Aristocrats -- the miniseries
Summary: 2 Stars
If costumes are all you're looking for in a costume drama, then go for it, because you won't find much drama. There was something anachronistic in the perspective of this period piece, which perhaps could be attributed to poorly adapted source material and some smug voice-overs. I could find little that was compelling in these upper class historical characters, all unlikeable in their various unremarkable hypocrisies. Particularly puzzling was the portrayal of Sarah by Jodhi May, a blank performance that might have aroused sympathy for the character had she suffered trauma or brain damage. Since there was nothing in the narrative to explain such strange affect, it was merely annoying. All in all, this was a long, boring film.Movie Review: Disappointing
Summary: 1 Stars
I realize that the film needed to be true to the lives that this group of individuals lived, but I was very disappointed in the content. I do feel that the description should have warned that it would not be suitable for family viewing. I also felt bored by the content and couldn't bring myself to watch the second DVD.