The Buccaneers
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Movie Reviews of The Buccaneers
Movie Review: Highly Recommended!
Summary: 5 Stars
What a wonderfully gorgeous production! The girls' beauty, their lovely costumes (there must've been dozens of costume changes between them!), the breathtaking cinematography and the lavish lifestyle of the English aristocrats captured in such rich and vivid detail on film, are already enough to make this period drama a winner!
The storyline itself is very romantic. It traces the love lives of 3 rich American girls (and a vivacious Italian girl, Conchita, played by Mira Sorvino) from their young, innocent and carefree days in America right up to their stay in England where the 3 Americans (Nan, her older sister Virginia and their friend, Lizzie) unexpectedly end up being married to rich/titled English fops and how the girls are forced to "grow-up" quickly and deal with the heartaches and demands that come with their marriage.
The heroine of the heroines is Annabelle "Nan" St George (played to perfection by Carla Gugino), a kind, naive but rather headstrong girl who marries a Duke (a sullen, uptight and boring young man who's more obsessed with the mechanics and tick-tock of clocks than he is of his young lovely bride). But Nan realizes later that she actually loves another, Guy Thwaite. Then, there're the villains - an unfaithful husband, a kept mistress but most of all, the domineering/greedy in-laws. However, over time, the girls mature and learn how to deal with and make a success of their "situation". In the end, they triumphed against all odds and emerged victorious, finding true happiness in love.
The male actors (who portrayed the husbands/lovers) are not worth commenting much on. All of them (save for Greg Wise) have a most haughty air about them that is oh, so hateful, although I admit their acting is good. But if only better-looking actors have been cast for the roles...
I watched "The Buccaneers" on videotape 6 years ago (in 2000!) and am glad it is now finally available on DVD. I loved this production and highly recommend it to fans of period dramas. The video I own is a box-set in 3 tapes. The story itself takes up 2 tapes. Tape no. 3 is a documentary on Edith Wharton's life but it features mostly still photographs and portraits of 19th century people and their costumes, pictures of old American houses from during Wharton's time and interviews with experts on American history and period costumes, etc. I think the DVD should contain the same special features.
Movie Review: Get Past The Beginning
Summary: 5 Stars
The first two episodes are dreadful with terrible acting and casting, I mean Conchetta Farrell will always look and be Berta on Two and Half Men. She didn't even bother to change her voice and her handling of a fan was like watching a truckdriver find his feminine side. The mother of Virginia and Anabel reminded me of one of those bad starlets from the 60's, very nice to look at but no substance. Lastly, Mira Sorvino as a Brazilian heiress was a stretch but she grows on you as the story unfolds. So enter the lovely British governess Miss Testvalley and the eventual move to the UK and the series starts to cook. The girls are groomed to meet and marry men of the aristocracy since the old guard of NY and Newport high society have no interest in them. The girls accomplish their goals but each one learns very difficult and life changing lessons from their noblesse oblige entanglements and the ending is perfect in spite of the fact that Edith Wharton did not finish this her last book before her death. I was prepared not to like this series given how it started out but it won me over and I am pleased to have it in my BBC DVD collection. Great escapism.Movie Review: Hurray!! It's FINALLY here!!
Summary: 5 Stars
And just in time -- I was just about to write the obituary for my VHS, which has put in a lot of good years for me. I have been checking with fingers crossed every couple of months for ages now -- Hoping that this would make it to DVD. To my delight today, it is finally here. I am ordering two copies asap. One for me and one for Sis. We are devoted to this miniseries that I would recommend to anyone who likes the BBC costume dramas. This one, like Pride and Prejudice, centers around a few girls looking for husbands, It doesn't all end at the alter for the buccaneers however. We get to see them grow up, get wise, get jaded and cause scandals. Costumes and Production are of course stunning, and acting is up to BBC standards. I especially give props to Carla Gugino, an overlooked actress, who in this series goes from dreaming, idealistic teenager to depressed, adulterous woman. The film has some problems mainly with editing, but I love this movie so much that I am willing to overlook it. If you like series like The Forsyte Sage, Pride and Prejudice, and Vanity Fair, you cannot lose on this one.Movie Review: The Bucaneers
Summary: 5 Stars
I love "chick flicks", and I had heard from a friend that "The Bucaneers" is excellent, so I purchased it. This series is filmed with the high quality and attention to detail that is so typical of BBC productions. It is well casted, and the characters are interesting. The film gives a good understanding of the societal hierarchy of that era, and of the desparate social climbing that took place among newly rich Americans. After land laws were passed in Britian in the 18th century, a good portion of the aristocracy, whose fortunes were land based, became impoverished, although they still retained their titles along with their social status. During this period, there were more than a few American heiresses who married impoverished British aristocrats. These women traded their father's money, for the social status that had been denied them in the United States among "old money" society. Some of these marriages were good, happy unions, and others were not. A friend of mine borrowed "The Bucaneers", and she loved it also. This is a series that one can watch several times.Movie Review: Best 10 bucks you could spend all year
Summary: 5 Stars
Finally! I had given up hope this awesome production would make it to DVD.
This was screened in Australia what would have to be at least 10 yrs ago but I remember it fondly. It came out shortly after (or what is before?) Pride and Prejudice and actually was my favourite of the two at the time.
Edith Wharton's unfinished story is bought to life through the wonderful American/English backdrop of the 1870s. It follows the story of Nan (carla gugino) whose parents are 'new money' and are trying to marry their daughters into society. After a lukewarm reception in america they are taken to England where they make a real splash. Things are not all that they seem and soon they girls get more than they bargained for.
Outstanding performances by Carla Gugino as Nan and James Frain as Duke of Trevenich make this a must see. Not to mention the costumes and the storyline.
This is well worth a look and a bargain too. Get it!