gmb0553
I was just looking for something available to fill a late evening via BBC iplayer and went for this - and now I'm off to bed feeling very happy. No need for me to repeat what has already been written in the higher scoring reviews, just to say they reflect my thoughts. However I was surprised by the couple of very low scoring reviews, so after reading them and being fed some doubts about the accuracy or integrity of the film I did some checking. Possibly the language/ dialect used may be slightly different to that of the time but the translation appears to be accurate i.e. the story is accurate. Also there are some comparison pictures of the actress and the real Lady W which are amazingly very close in likeness. Whilst viewing this drama I noticed nothing that made me think it was poor or cut price and have since found nothing false or inferior about the story or film. Therefore I can highly recommend this production which I found as good as any I have seen from the BBC and an enjoyable insight to early modern England and the evolution of gender relations. Worth paying my licence fee for :-)
nicholls_les
England in 1782, and the true story ( unbelievable but it is true) of the unusual marriage between Lord and Lady Worsley. This is a time when a man's wife was his property, and he was free to do with her as he wished. The films beginning is a little confusing as it jumps back and forth but all becomes clearer as the film progresses.Natalie Dormer as Lady Seymour Worsley was a perfect casting and she not only looks like the real Lady Seymour Worsley but acts in just the right way as far as I can tell. I notice some have criticised how she spoke etc, but I doubt there are any original recordings of her voice so who can say for sure whether she was always grammatically correct? She was from a wealthy family but I doubt that they ALL spoke like Joanna Lumley.Shaun Evans is perfect as Lord Richard Worsley and portrays his weirdness as a perverted politician (has nothing changed?)What I liked about the film was the ending, which I won't give away although many who studied history may already know, but the court scenes showing the jury's decision was priceless.In all a good watchable film that deserves more credit than many seem to have given it.
hosk4163
Adams 5905 is absolutely right on every count. Natalie Dormer can hack it as a bit part in East Enders, but like most of the female actors today has no grasp of the language and pronunciation of the well-bred aristocrat or even the upper middle class. Joanna Lumley she is not!As to the script - who begins a sentence with "Myself" as the nominative singular? Only the barely educated. There were several words not in common usage at that time, but why should we be surprised at the slap-dash writing and direction by people who have little formal classical education in English, let alone simple grammar?Altogether laughable
Paul Phillips
This is a period movie length drama from the BBC that others probably would have turned into a lengthy miniseries. It felt like there was certainly lots of possible material to pad it out if they had gone down that route. I gather the budget for this was quite tight due to current cuts at the BBC. It doesn't show mostly, but it felt a little under resourced at times.Nevertheless its well acted by the whole cast and a very enjoyable story, especially given its based on true, if very unusual, events.Natalie adds some glamor whilst Shaun Evans plays the eccentric husband in only a way he can. Recommended.
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