plutus1947
It seems lately that every time I turn on my TV I see either David Tennant or Olivia Colman. I am certainly not complaining though.If you watch The Thirteenth Tale you will certainly need your wits about you to follow this wonderfully written plot with all it's many twists and turns.I doubt you will be able to fully fathom it out until virtually the final scenes.Olivia Colman who played Margaret Lea was her usual impeccable self and Vanessa Redgrave (Vida Winter) never puts in anything less than a perfect performance.I feel a special mention must be made about Madeleine Power who played both parts as young Adeline and young Emmeline, Her performances were immaculate and I am sure we will see a lot more of her.SPOILER BEGINS I am not going to give too much away about this TV Movie because you will have to work it out for yourself, but the story begins with Margaret, a professional biographer being engaged by Vida to write her autobiography. Vida is dying of pancreatic cancer.SPOILER ENDS I have given this production a 10 rating because I feel it rates alongside the tremendous whodunit Broadchurch', which incidentally also starred Olivia Colman.If you have the patience to sit down and watch The Thirteenth Tale uninterrupted I am sure you will not regret it.I would be interested to know how long it takes you to work it out. In my case I solved it just before the full facts were revealed.Just a little piece of useless information. Both Vanessa Redgrave and Olivia Colman were born on the same date, 30th January, but of course in different years.
Prismark10
The film was pushed as a spooky, supernatural story when it is more of a thriller.Vanessa Redgrave is the dying writer. Olivia Coleman is the biographer called in to write a story of her youth in a large house with a dysfunctional family. A mother who went mad. A father on the verge of madness. Plus uncontrollable sisters who are a burden to the housekeepers.The film takes a while to get going but the book has been adapted for the screen by Oscar winner Christopher Hampton. As the film develops, secrets are revealed about the twin sisters and their effect of the people around them.The film is well acted and the story gradually draws you in and surprises you as it does not go the way you think it will. Of course I have never read the book so no comparison is made with the novel. It's a drama that stands in its own merits.
l_rawjalaurence
Based on a best-selling Gothic novel, THE THIRTEENTH TALE contains all the virtues characteristic of contemporary BBC drama; lavish locations with plenty of exterior shots, ornately decorated interior shots, 'mood' lighting designed to create a spooky atmosphere, and a cast of well- known actors given full opportunity to show off their creative talents. In this particular piece, aging novelist Viola Winter (Vanessa Redgrave) enlists the services of little-known writer Margaret Lea (Olivia Colman) to recount her autobiography, including her Viola's mysterious childhood when her family home (Anglefield House) burned to the ground. However Viola is herself a writer of fiction, so we never quite know whether what she recounts is 'the truth' or not (if the truth exists, of course). Christopher Hampton's screenplay allows for plenty of exchanges between the protagonists, as well as creating a 'hall-of- mirrors' like effect in which nothing is what it seems to be. However the narrative of THE THIRTEENTH TALE does tend to sag; like many BBC dramas, the director James Kent seems too much concerned to create atmosphere through music and location shooting (both interior and exterior), both of which tend to impede the progress of the plot. The denouement, when it comes, is both predictable and un-scary. One is left with the feeling that the story could have been far more effectively recounted in a sixty-minute slot.
michael-penn777
AN adaptation of the bestselling Gothic novel The Thirteenth Tale which was filmed in North Yorkshire is being screened tonight.Scenes for the production, adapted for the small screen by Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher Hampton and starring Vanessa Redgrave and Olivia Colman, were filmed at Duncombe Park in the summer.The story follows ageing novelist Vida Winter (Redgrave), who enlists a young writer to finally tell the story of her life including her mysterious childhood spent in Angelfield House, which burned to the ground when she was a teenager.Superb location. I wish there were more films like this.Highly recommended viewing.10 out of 10
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