Cranford
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Movie Reviews of Cranford
Movie Review: Delightful Cranford
Summary: 5 Stars
"Cranford" is at once a delightful and winning BBC adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell's literary works. While lacking the narrative focus of "Wives and Daughters" and "North and South," "Cranford" still comes out to top crest owing largely to a collection of likeable characters played by veteran and other well-known British actors, and also owing to a masterful interweaving of several storylines taken from Mrs. Gaskell's novel "Cranford," and her other smaller works (novellas,) such as "My Lady Ludlow" and "Mr. Harrison's Confessions." What could have been a trite exercise comes out fresh because of these qualities.
At the onset, the bucolic and fictional town of Cranford seems quiet and trapped in a former century. But nothing is ever quiet especially where gossiping ladies are concerned; and no "backward" town can forever stay asleep, not when a proposed railway which will connect it with other busier counties (such as Manchester) is about to disturb the peace and change town life forever. This is the foundation with which the storylines of "Cranford" are set, told in an era where change has been steadily making headways, and the social strata seem to be balancing out.
It should be noted, however, that while "Cranford" imparts to its viewers a sense of things on the verge of change, romance and social satire are still the order of the day. Making up the romantic aspect of "Cranford" are pairs of lovers who are kept apart either by mischief of fate, familial obligations, or class difference. Complementing these are subplots about a sister's longing for a long-lost brother, a mother's longing for an absent son, and silly feminine passions that explode to embarrassing proportions on two occasions. "Cranford" is also replete with satire, as evidenced by its comedy of manners. It spends an amount of its time poking fun at cackling and gossiping ladies. Ultimately, these gossips harm not only their victims, but also the perpetrators themselves, in more ways than one. Other themes of the period are the upper-class bigotry against the education of the lower-class, and also the clinging on to traditions that do no good in the end (as evidenced by Lady Ludlow's decision with regards to a part of her land.) Comparison is also made between the professional attitudes (and aptitudes) of the elder Dr. Morgan and the younger Dr. Harrison.
The descriptions I gave above may mislead you readers to think of "Cranford" as dismal and small. On the contrary, "Cranford" has a big heart, in the way its inhabitants show charity, neighborliness and compassion when called for. "Nothing like this is ever done in London," comments our young Dr. Harrison on the ladies' generosity. Even the prejudiced Lady Ludlow (played by Francesca Annis) takes a good turn when she spoke to the magistrate on behalf of a poacher who was also wrongly accused of assaulting someone in the night. Amidst all these, Dame Judi Dench plays the younger Jenkyn sister and she somewhat embodies Cranford, which is now on the brink of breaking out to the wave of social changes happening in other places. She had lived under the shadow of her loving but stern sister for most of her life, and we always sense in her some wild undercurrent ready to break out of the mold.
Dames Eileen and Judi, playing the two Jenkyn sisters who never married, are truly a joy to watch. It's so nice to see them in bonnets and in more congenial surroundings. See veteran performances in action (I wished that Dame Maggie Smith were also here, I so much adore her as I do Dames Eileen and Judi.) These two formidable actresses aside, who can beat this roster of veteran actors and other well-knowns who took part in the production: Sir Michael Gambon, Francesca Annis, Imelda Staunton, Lesley Manville, Julia McKenzie, Barbara Flynn, Deborah Findlay, Julia Sawalha, and others. The cast is top rate and so are the production values, which have always been the hallmark of the BBC television series enterprise. Fans of BBC's "Wives and Daughters" will not be disappointed with this one.
A point of interest: Hardcore literature buffs may not take kindly to the creative liberties that the filmmakers took with Mrs. Gaskell's works. In the Bonus Features Interview, they admit to changing the fates of certain characters: some died who were supposed to live, and some lived who were supposed to die. And yes, as with "Wives and Daughters" and "North and South," "Cranford" has its own lot of untimely and diseased deaths, in an era where modern medicine was just making early breakthroughs. One particular death scene near the end (where a leg needed to be amputated) might disturb younger viewers.
Speaking during the interview, producer Sue Birtwistle mentioned the possibility of a sequel should "Cranford" do very well. I'd be bold enough to speak in behalf of fans: We certainly hope that a follow-up comes soon. At five episodes, "Cranford" feels like a joyous ride that ended too soon. Fans certainly like to be "BBC-spoiled" now and then. If this were to come true, I hope to see more British veteran actors (particularly Dame Maggie) taking part in Mrs. Gaskell's insightful stories.
*Comes with English subtitles
Movie Review: Heartwarming? Yes. But clever, too, with outstanding performances and a fine screenplay
Summary: 5 Stars
The opportunity to watch so many of Britain's great female actors working together in parts that allow them to demonstrate just how good they are is one of the two immensely satisfying aspects of Cranford, the five-part, 291-minute drama imported from Britain by way of Masterpiece Theater. The other is the story itself -- a kind of Austen-like tale of good manners, gossip, punctilious courtesies and extraordinarily detailed production values. Cranford may be a genteel and gentle soap opera, but it glows with warmth, humor and the occasional dramatic crisis.
Cranford is a small English village, tidy and well kept. The time is the early 1840's. The village hasn't changed much over the years. The established ladies of the village plan to keep it that way. For the next 12 months of Cranford we'll see a new, young doctor come to town, the affects of a train line being built closer and closer to the village, romance and marriages, typhoid, death and poverty. We'll see why some think the lower classes should not be taught to read or write, how it really hurts to have your leg amputated, how a woman of a certain age who is not married may well expect to live a lonely life. We'll also see friendships, misunderstandings, the love for a cow and the deep comfort of accepted ways. Keep in mind that the story isn't simply a bucolic tale of a world long gone. We're going to deal with class distinctions, poverty, condescension to women, and customs that can strangle affection. There are several story lines that develop and weave around each other.
At the heart of the story are the women of Cranford, for whom gossip is a way of life. Eileen Atkins plays the elderly Miss Deborah Jenkyns, a severe woman who is not without feelings and who is the acknowledged arbiter of what is proper. Her sister, Miss Mattie Jenkyns, played by Judi Dench, is a bit scatterbrained but a warm and empathetic person. And we have Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton), a lightening transmitter of juicy information; Mrs. Forrester (Julia MacKenzie), a widow who is a bit of a ditherer but good-hearted; and Miss Jamieson (Barbara Flynn), better off than the others which she is careful to display, and more conventional, but prepared to be brought around. There is Mary Smith (Lisa Dillon), who comes to live with the Jenkyns sisters to escape a busybody stepmother and who finds more than she thought she would. Thankfully, she has a good mind and a sense of humor. And there is Lady Ludlow (Francesca Annis), the grand, aging lady in the grand estate nearby who learns to acknowledge that others may be correct, while not seeming to apologize for her class standards. What of the men? They're around, but for the most part they exist simply to provide the framework for the women's stories. Such superior actors as Michael Gambon, Jim Carter and Martin Shaw play them.
When we leave Cranford five hours after we arrived, we've smiled a lot, teared up a few times, and have come to admire these women, their capacity for friendship and their desire to keep the future from arriving too soon. If you hear the term "heartwarming," don't be put off. This program is intelligently written and is acted with extraordinary and underplayed skill.
The DVD presentation is on two discs. The video and audio transfer is excellent. There is a "making of" feature, which is interesting.
Movie Review: Hey: Cranford Doesn't Suck!
Summary: 5 Stars
Let me make something perfectly clear, OK? I'm a guy. Like most guys, my favorite kind of movie has plenty of action, with fights, car chases, explosions, hot babes, and violence, with a little blood or gore sprinkled in. So why did I give this one five stars? Let me try to explain.
Going in, your typical red-blooded American male might be put off a bit; judging by it's cover, Cranford appears to be just another in a long line of boring English bonnet romances, full of people in wigs and weird clothes sitting around in parlours talking to each other. If you're looking for a testosterone-fueled trip through hell, a la Tarantino, Peckinpah or Woo, you might be disappointed. I waited and waited, but I could find not one fist fight, stabbing, shooting, rape, steamy sex scene, unexposed nipple or horrible murder in the whole dang thing!
But gents, don't automatically dismiss this one: if you look, you will find a surprising amount of death, gore and violence: in one scene, a kid smashes in the skull of a defenseless rabbit. In another, a cat pukes up some hand-knit lace. And then a cow falls into a lime pit and gets all it's hide burned off. So I guess you could say that animals have a tough time in this miniseries.
But the people have some rough patches as well. In the first twenty minutes the young carpenter Jem falls from a ladder and suffers a compound fracture of his right forearm, which is pretty gruesome. You wouldn't think that there would be many deaths in this one either, but it seems like people are keeling over every other minute. A very young kid dies of croup, a crippled young woman dies of who knows what, one of the main characters, Deborah Jenkyns (Eileen Atkins), strokes out, and the great Michael Gambon's character, the lovelorn Mr. Holbrook, contracts pneumonia and bites it before he has a chance to marry his long lost love, Mattie Jenkyns ((there is nothin' like a DAME) Judy Dench). The local shopkeeper Mr. Johnson is clubbed on the back of his head and robbed. A family of squatters is forced to live in abject squalor while the father must poach game to keep his family from starvation.
There is a top-notch "babe" in the series too. Kimberly Nixon plays the young daughter of the local parson. She is a "pretty as a picture" actress, first-rate eye candy, a perfect rosy-cheeked beauty seemingly born for this type of film, who will have a long and very bright future in the many inevitable English period romances to be produced over the next ten years. I hoped and prayed for a scene of her swimming naked in a sylvan lake or even a brief glimpse of her in the boudoir, but alas it never happened. I guess you will have to use your imagination.
Another huge negative: it appeared there were no "pavement princesses" or brothels in the town of Cranford. Or they chose not to show us. Damn!
Nor were there coach chases, bloody shootouts, pub brawls, adulterers, adulteresses or dispicable villains in Cranford.
However, you do get a lot of humor, color, poignancy, romance, emotion, beauty, magnificent costumes, fabulous photography, and wonderful character development and acting. With all that, I guess I can overlook the absence of fist fights and sex. I hate to admit that; it's not very manly of me, but it's true. Cranford did not suck.
Movie Review: Cranford
Summary: 5 Stars
I ordered this from Amazon UK to be able to view this prior to its release date. I was not disappointed! Sadly, I had to watch it by myself because my husband didn't think he'd like it. He would have been wrong, by the way. It was exquisite in every way.
I watched it over 2 nights. It's a 5 hour miniseries and it is broken up into five 1 hour-long episodes.
The first 3 hours were very very good. Excellent, even. But the last 2 hours were absolutely perfect.
In Cranford, we meet many of its residents with most of the focus on 2 spinster sisters and their surrounding friends and relatives. Everyone is kind here and look out for their neighbors and generally want to live correctly and do the right thing. Their village has been like this for ages and the citizens have all known eachother since birth. It is an idyllic place and a happy place. They welcome new residents, too, with every bit of friendliness.
Cranford has existed in the same way for years, even though times are changing. A railroad may come through the town and most residents are against this type of change. For with the positive changes-- such as information, goods, and knowledge, there would also be negative changes-- more transients, less safety, etc.
The intertwined story lines here involve the two sisters, class distinctions, entitlements and expectations, a very funny love triangle, and accepting change and modernity.
One of the best stories involves the young son of a poacher (one who kills animals on others' land). The manager of the aristocrat's large estate takes the young boy under his wing and wants to teach him to read and write. The aristocratic Lady finds out and believes that those of this underclass should not attempt to learn skills outside their "class". Maybe worse, the boy's father finds out of the boy's desire to read and also disapproves. We find out later that the Lady isn't cold-hearted. On the contrary. She's kind-hearted and full of pain, yet it's difficult for her to recognize the times are changing and that some of her ways must change, too.
When a new handsome doctor moves to town, he immediately falls for Sophy. Sophy returns his admiration, yet so do 2 others who misunderstand his general kindness for more romantic intentions. This culminates in expected confusion, but the outcome is happy at the end.
Those watching Cranford from the beginning may take it to be an old-fashioned chick-flick. It's really not, though. It does focus on the women of Cranford more than the men, but the stories depicted cross gender lines. Change-- industrialization-- is the antagonist here, along with fear of change. However, as new medical practices save several lives, and a member of the trade class saves a member of the Upper class, it's also obvious that change, by itself, isn't bad. It can be positive for everyone involved.
This is a fantastic series. The only disappointment was that it was only five hours! I definitely could have watched another few episodes with the same interest these five held. Beautifully acted, filmed, and scored. The entire film was thoroughly enjoyable.
Movie Review: extraordinary sensibilities from a different time, yet universal
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a masterpiece of historical dramatization. While faithful to the novel, it translates the action and emotion into a format for modern viewers. My family has watched this several times with increasing delight at the subtle personalities, the social issues that are evoked, and the lives as they go forward. The great accomplishment of the series is that, while often funny to the point of absurdity, it never falls into the territory of sitcom or burlesque. Instead, it retains both its realism and social relevancy in the most exquisite of dramas. The milieu, while superficially familiar, is in fact quite alien. Isolated, it is in the thick of victorian era, which can only be described as extremely rarified, full of rules, customs, and traditions that shape decisions that are astonishingly personal, cause mortal worries about the most banal concerns, and lead to intricate misunderstandings. It is always believable and emotionally accurate, never parody.
The cast of characters appears normal, at least for their time. There is Matty, whose elder sister Deborah is the arbiter of "the proper" in town. They look out the windows, judging people they see in the street and discussing what course of action would be best. They take in a niece, who becomes an intimate part of their household because she wishes to aviod a hasty (or perhaps any) marriage. A young doctor also comes to town, brimming with ideals and ready to work. Finally, the gameskeeper for a local aristocrat takes on the welfare of a wonderful child, whose family is part gypsy and dirt poor. As these characters interact and adapt to the changing world, more and more is revealed, to the point that their cares and hopes become beautifully, painfully poignant.
For example, as the young doctor establishes himself as innovative and competent, he is noticed as the most eligible bachelor in a town of gossipy spinsters. Though he is in love with a local beauty, two older women become convinced he is about to propose to them, in part because of his own kindness but also by a bad practical joke. When the situation is discovered, he is nearly ruined by the many assumptions people make about his motives. Another episode involves the sad resolution of an old love: the beau reappears, after perhaps 40 years, to the woman who refused him because her family needed her due to a personal tragedy. They loved each other the whole time. It brought tears to my eyes.
The overwhelming impression, at the end, is one of grace. You come to admire these people, hope for them, and even question your own behavior. Indeed, according to my wife, a principal purpose of the novels is to pose social dilemmas to the reader. Very powerful stuff. Also, unlike the all's-well-that-ends-well stuff that makes many Dickens' endings so sickeningly unbelievable, these novels often end in pain and loss, though the decent society of the town makes up for a lot of it. There are no deus ex machina solutions.
Warmly recommended. This will become a staple in our family's entertainment.