Customer Reviews

To Be the Best

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Being a great fan of the Woman of Substance, I was sorely disappointed in this 3rd entry in a trilogy about the Emma Harte legacy written by Barbara Taylor Bradford.

This is soap opera trash at its worst. The plot devices are weak and quite distasteful: drugs, a prostitute turned shy wife, an over-the-top vindictive cousin/villain. The fight seens are choreographed so badly that I had to laugh. Lindsay Wagner is neither British nor convincing as the Harte CEO, Paula O'Neill, granddaughter of Emma Harte. David Robb as the disappointed husband Shane O'Neill comes across whiney and helpless - a far cry from the supportive, driven and romantic character played by Stephen Collins in Hold the Dream. I cannot figure out why Stephanie Beacham would consent to play such an awful 1-dimensional character as Arabella - the french whore who marries the vindictive cousin at the request of his "loyal" Chinese side-kick. There are a few good moments of activing from Anthony Hopkins as chief of Harte's security. But the plot just doesn't make sense - the robbery at the beginning of the movie is never solved or explained; and why would Paula risk losing the stores by selling her stock knowing that her cousin is out to ruin her?

A Woman of Substance was a magnificent book and its mini-series is very well done. This third entry in the Harte trilogy is rubbish. Don't waste your time.

When I watched this movie I kept asking myself, what the hell is this? I found it poorly acted, ridiculous and stupid.
What a shame after the other two, those were so good, please do not waste money buying this piece of rubbish!!
It leaves you with a very sour taste in your mouth!

I love all of Barbara Teylor Bradford novels
I love the passion the emotion and the strenth she puts into her characters
I have the first 2 DVD ( A wouman of substance,Hold the dream and now To Be The Best ( I have in audio CD Emmas'sSecreat great novel )I needed the 3rd on the triology and I knew it had to be just as good as all her other books , and it was .I recommend all to any woman who likes Love stories with a Back bone

I had the misfortune to see this movie years ago as a tv mini-series. It was completely awful!!! Lindsey Wagner as Paula? She should stick with the Bionic Woman. It was a real shame that such a good book was destroyed with this movie. Please believe the previous reviews and save your money!

I didn't pay attention to the other reviews of this DVD and decided to try it. Bad Idea!!!! It is so unlike the book as to be laughable. Jack Figg wasn't even in the first series of Emma Harte novels. Philip Amory never had anything to do with the stores, and Sandy was the head of Harte Enterprises and wouldn't have been gambling in Hong Kong. Shane never resented Paula's work in the book. The DVD never mentions Paula's first twins. Where did they go since their father had died? What happened to Linnett, Paula's younger daughter? Lindsay Wagner as a red haired Brit is a disgrace. Her British accent comes and goes. I can see why Barbara Taylor Bradford introduces this DVD. It needed all the help it could get.

Please pay attention to this review and DON'T waste your money on this DVD.