Fingersmith
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Movie Reviews of Fingersmith
Movie Review: Excellent
Summary: 5 Stars
What an amazing twist. I love all of her books and the movie adaptations.Movie Review: Finger Smith By Sarah Waters
Summary: 5 Stars
brilliant book.An absorbing story, I could hardly put it down!Movie Review: Intense, believable tale of an illicit relationship
Summary: 4 Stars
After reading Sarah Waters' novel Fingersmith, I knew I had to take a look at the film adaptation of the story. A BBC production from 2005 of this tale of double crosses and forbidden love does a credible job of making a believable transition to the screen.
Set in London's underbelly in the 1860's, we see the world of Mrs. Sucksby (Imelda Staunton), a baby-farmer who takes in foundlings, and the materfamilias of a gang of thieves and a fence, Mr. Ibbs (David Troughton). In their little tribe of thieves -- or fingersmiths -- there is Sue Trinder (Sally Hawkins). Sue, unlike the other two thieves in the household, is rather cherished by Mrs. Sucksby, and has a privileged status as a sort of adopted daughter. Not that Sue is naive, mind you. She knows the rough and tumble ways of life at the bottom, but when a scheme is hatched by Gentleman (Rupert Evans) to defraud a gentlewoman, Sue is more than eager to join in the plot. After all, her take will be three thousand pounds, a goodly sum in that day and time.
The gentlewoman in question is Maud Lilly (Elaine Cassidy), the niece of a landowner, Mr. Lilly (Charles Dance) in the countryside. Briar, as the estate is known, is a crumbling, dark and downright sinister place. With a rather unpleasant childhood, Maud finds a sort of sanctuary at Briar, treated as a lady, wearing fine clothing, but there is something rotten at the very bottom of Briar, where she entertains her uncle's guests by reading his massive collection of books to them, and helping her uncle catalog his books as a secretary.
But then a young man appears in her life, Richard Rivers, young and charming and interested in Maud herself. He begs for her to marry him, to leave the dusty, dim world that her uncle inhabits, and know the freedom of London as his wife.
But here too, not all is as it seems, for Rivers is none other than Gentleman, and he has plotted for Sue to become Maud's lady's-maid and friend, and so, have Maud committed to an lunatic asylum, and he will gain control of Maud's fortune, with Sue receiving a share...
I really don't want to reveal more of the plot, as this is a story full of twists and turns, and some truly knockout punches. The emotional level in this film is high, but very believable, especially with the characters of Maud and Sue. The atmosphere is suitably dank and unnerving, but beautifully shot and directed by Aisling Walsh with Peter Ransley adapting the novel in the screenplay. While I had known what the story was going to be from reading the novel, I was hooked from the start, and followed eagerly along through the three-hour film, presented in two parts.
Parents should note that this film has some fairly questionable material, dealing as it does with Victorian pornography, and the intense emotions between two women. Those who find this objectionable should not watch this, as while the scenes are tastefully done, they're not masking over any details either. The scenes in the asylum are also fairly graphic, along with visuals of two hangings.
The DVD edition has some extras, with character overviews, a 'behind the scenes' featurette that has Sarah Waters speaking about her film, along with scene selections and a cast overview. The picture and sound quality are fairly crisp and clear.
I give this one an enthusiastic thumbs-up. While the content matter is a bit much for most audiences, if you can handle a lesbian love affair that isn't glossed over or shown for titillation's sake, you'll like this one. I did have problems with Sue's character at first, but when the big twist comes, I guarantee that you'll become a bit more sympathetic for her.
Happily recommended, with four solid stars.
Movie Review: A mystery within a puzzle wrapped inside an enigma...
Summary: 4 Stars
Fingersmith (Aisling Walsh, 2005)
Fingersmith, actually a two-part British TV miniseries, came to America as a three-hour DVD. Based on Sarah Waters' novel of the same name, it details the dealings of Susan Smith (Sally Hawkins, recently of The Painted Veil), a thief (thus the title) in London in the nineteenth century who becomes involved in a complicated scheme to swindle a large sum of money out of Maud Lilly (The Others' Elaine Cassidy). Smith, through a series of intrigues, becomes Lilly's handmaiden, but the two of them quickly develop a friendship on top of that, and possibly something more (I haven't read the novel, so I don't know if it's explicit there; it's certainly implied here). The trick is, there's a great deal more to Maud Lilly than anyone realizes; once you hit the halfway point, the surprises here come thick and fast, and what looked to be a simple crime story blossoms into an all-out mystery/thriller that I was in no way expecting. And what a pleasant surprise it is.
It helps, of course, that both Hawkins and Cassidy are almost painfully beautiful, and that, plus the script's implications as to their relationship, certainly helps propel the first half of the film, which is half crime story and half Merchant/Ivory comedy of manners (a genre of film to which I have never been able to warm myself). At the halfway point, though, I stopped noticing, and for someone like me, that's saying something. How many red herrings can you throw into one script? How many little side perversions can you add without things becoming too overloaded for anyone to see your plot? How many twists and turns, how many character revelations, the whole bit? Yes, it does end up playing the Vitorian-melodrama card so loved by writers like Nathaniel Hawthorne (I heard a pretty strong echo of the last line of House of the Seven Gables in the last few minutes of this film, though it's not quite as deus ex machina as Hawthorne allowed himself; still, it's awfully convenient), but it's such an enchanting thrill ride getting there I actually didn't half mind. There's a great deal of fun to be had here, even if you're not a big fan of Victorian costume drama; a very entertaining little film, well worth watching. *** ½
Movie Review: From Page to Screen...a Seamless Transition
Summary: 4 Stars
This two-part movie is based on the book of the same name by Sarah Waters. I absolutely loved this book and was excited to see how it was carried out on the screen - since I haven't been too happy with page to screen adaptations lately.
This movie is set in Victorian England. A young fingersmith (thief), Sue, goes in on a plot with a man to swindle money from a local heiress, Maud. Sue becomes Maud's maid while trying to help her fall into their plot. Sue's problem is that she has a conscience and feels bad about ruining the life of this girl whom she has befriended. When it comes time to conclude the plot and put Maud into the mad house - things get turned upside down and the swindle plan radically changes for all of the characters. The first half of the miniseries is seen from Sue's perspective and the second half is from Maud's perspective.
This movie follows the plot of the book very closely. The book is broken down into sections narrated by Sue and by Maud, which the movie repeats. I am very thankful that the movie follows the plot of the book because the book is so well written. I don't think I have seen another movie that sticks to the plot of the proceeding book with such success. I think other movie makers should take note! There is drama and amazing characterization. The Victorian world is marvelously depicted on the screen.
I have come to expect great movies from the BBC and this one does not disappoint! I would recommend this to anyone who has read the book (you will not regret it) or to anyone who would enjoy a Victorian mystery caper.