He Knew He Was Right
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Movie Reviews of He Knew He Was Right
Movie Review: Beautiful Production Values, Shallow Story (3.5 stars)
Summary: 4 Stars
He Knew He Was Right based on the Anthony Trollope novel has many of the makings of a period drama success--beautiful sets and costumes, good actors, and a script written by the wonderful Andrew Davies, who also penned the BBC's miraculous 1996 miniseries Pride and Prejudice.
However, despite these wonderful attributes, He Knew He Was Right still lacks in something. To me, the main storyline is the problem: Louis Trevalyan is deeply suspicious and hurt by what he feels is impropriety in the older Colonel Osborne's relationship with his wife Emily. The entire movie consists of him demanding that Emily stop receiving Osborne and Emily's staunch refusal because of her innocence; if she were to stop seeing him it would imply that something improper had indeed occurred. This is all right for the first few minutes, but after a while the situation continued to drag on and I was beginning to get quite frustrated. I found myself waiting for the secondary storylines to begin as they were more interesting. To make matters worse, the actors in several instances told their thoughts to the camera in a sort of soliloquy.
I'm not telling anyone to rule He Knew He Was Right out, as there are some good scenes and gorgeous costumes, but do not expect it to be along the lines of P&P or North and South.
Movie Review: He "Believed" he was right - an Intrigue to watch
Summary: 4 Stars
I found this film to be immensely entertaining. For those who have not read Trollope's works - the film is yet another adaptation with multiple sub plots that link ever so slightly, to create a masterpiece well acted by both major and minor characters.
The film is sweepingly produced with detailed costuming and diverse characters: You cannot help but suspect the skulking Colonel Osborne [Bill Nighy], loathe the petulant preacher or the French sisters, and feel pity for Louis & Emily [Oliver Dimsdale & Laura Fraser](our star couple) in their scandalous dilemma, for which the main story revolves.
The film deals so much with trust and devotion in EACH of its storylines - The mistrusting ones making unhappy lives with their wives, daughters and livelihoods.....the devoted ones sacrificing their possible happiness for the ones they love.
Occasionally the characters break the "fourth wall" by conversing with the audience - at first I found this an awkward intrusion, but soon came to realize it was part of the story's charm - revealing either humorous or sad confidences.
Overall, it should not matter whether the ending is sad or happy - the meat of the matter is what is applause worthy or not....and it surely was a great story retold for me!
Movie Review: Well done Victorian piece
Summary: 4 Stars
I really enjoyed this series although I have to say, the insanity that befell the husband of the heroine is perplexing. The casting was superb and the Mr. Gibson character did a great comedic performance with the French sisters. I am just sorry that the main characters had a sad ending compared to the rest of the bunch. Everyone else found true love except for Mr. Gibson but he seemed incapable of it in any event. I just wish the whole story had a happy ending. But that aside it was very enjoyable to watch and I may even read the book.Movie Review: A Good Film
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie has a good plot---The one or two sex scenes are very tame.
I'd rate them with a G rating.The lead gentleman thught he was right
about his wife's infidelity and lost everything.Good English acting. Shows English women as we have read them to be.
19th Century Britlit Classic
Movie Review: Boring Flat Main Story, Somewhat Funny side story, Disjointed Passionless
Summary: 3 Stars
I wouldn't buy this one, rental only. The story is flat, happy couple gets married then jealousy and the resulting madness ensue with a struggle for custody thrown in. He was somewhat justified in his suspicions, but then goes mad and turns hateful and distrusting of the world and then intends to teach this to his son but dithers and relents only to kill himself through worry. I think the wives unbending and non-sacrifice with such a lack of understanding and empathy done with such a calm babe in the woods demeanor is horrible on her part as well, he wasn't asking for the world.
No effort to flesh out the husbands background and own growing up to help explain such a bizarre spiral is made, making this a very weak effort indeed. Both the husband and wives acting are very much flat as well, we expected it to build to something more passionate and concrete only to be shown a sort of whimper and then predictable end in unspecified death used interminably in Victorian literature.
The only interesting and entertaining part is the priest and his vacillations with respect to a number of women who seem to think he's so great. It's a funny interlude and contrast to the quite boring main story, oddly the two don't really intersect making for a disjointed production.
This just isn't in the same league as Pride, NorthSouth, Bleak House, WivesDaughters or a number of other English novel adaptations, you could skip it and not miss much.