Customer Reviews

The Evelyn Waugh Collection (A Handful of Dust / Scoop)

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(I must send you back to the Amazon.co.uk reviews for A Handful of Dust)
SCOOP was one of the best Waugh novels (rather brief as usual) published in 1938.
The novelist William Boyd wrote this superior adaptation for London Weekend Television (ITV during the weekends) directed by Gavin Millar, with a dazzling reunion of great British actors.
Michael Maloney (cf his equally naive character in LOVE ON A BRANCH LINE) as the contributor of Lush places, a bi-weekly
half-column devoted to Nature (by Boot,Countryman)is mistaken by the fierce magnate (Donald Pleasence) of THE DAILY BEAST
with an international reporter. The Foreign Affairs editor (Denholm Elliott, outstanding as always) must obey his master
("up to a point, Lord Copper!) And Boot is extracted from his rural retreat and sent with huge equipment to Ishmaelia., as a war correspondent.
The subtitle of the novel: A NOVEL ABOUT JOURNALISTS is well chosen.
I won't spoil the rest. The great building of the former Daily Express (1933), with black Victrolite, was used for shooting
(cf The Buildings of England, vol 1, The City of London, 2002, Yale and Penguin.)
Waugh had been sent to Abyssinia (the real Ishmaelia of course) by the Times in 1930 for the coronation of the emperor Haile Selassie.(REMOTE PEOPLE, 1931, Penguin 1985). He was sent again in 1935 by the Daily Mail(WAUGH IN ABYSSINIA,1936, 1985 Penguin) to cover the "war" (i.e. the fascist Italian invasion to create an Empire with bordering Somalia colony). Waugh speaks of the Abyssinians as an "inferior race" and, as a loudly professed catholic, doesn't condemn the savage bombings. He declares himself as a kind of neutral.
But his visit to the new Italian Vice Roy show his sympathies. We must remember that the League of Nations soon abandoned
the sanctions against Italy.
It's just background information.
Both the novel and TV adaptation are superior and very funny.
Enjoy!

The venomous tongue of Evelyn Waugh translates uncomfortably to film. Although the BBC scored a hit with its miniseries "Brideshead Revisited" some decades ago, a movie of that novel failed to find an audience a year or so back, and the Tony Richardson version of "The Loved One" is a storied flop. Waugh's obvious loathing of humanity is best taken in the slow, controlled doses offered by his many novels and short stores.
However, Acorn Media has released two of the (somewhat) more successful films based on his writings, "A Handful of Dust" and "Scoop." Both films have their charms and attractiveness, and both have their hurtful, venal, and mean underside. This is not to suggest that Waugh, or the movies, are at all overblown or inaccurate. However, both pose aspects of humanity that are sometimes far more painful than funny to watch.
"A Handful of Dust" seems to present itself as a straightforward, somewhat dull, drama of an unfaithful spouse in the dreary post WWI British class. Kristin Scott Thomas from "The English Patient" and James Wilby from "Howards End" are the bored married couple, and the seemingly predictable drama takes a violent swerve to the bizarrely macabre when their son dies in a tragic accident, and follows with one of the most painful and tortuous endings ever filmed. Thomas' reaction to her son's death will be seared into an audience's memory, and the finale of the film will produce nightmares for years. Judi Dench, Rupert Graves and Alec Guinness (in a shattering performance) add to the festivities.
"Scoop" is somewhat less trenchant and glamorous, but this BBC outing about a journalist in search of a war that may or may not be happening has some very, very funny moments. Mostly, these are supplied by the collection of caricatured editors, politicians, and mysterious strangers who wander through our hero's adventures. The hapless writer is played by Michael Maloney, the only actor to have appeared in both the Mel Gibson and the Kenneth Branagh version of "Hamlet." Along the way, the various weird and strange types he encounters are played by such British worthies and Michael Hordern, Denholm Elliott, Herbert Lom and Donald Pleasance. This author may not be a dish for everyone's taste---mean, bitter, angry, hateful, misanthropic and vicious---yet Acorn Media's "The Evelyn Waugh Collection" is strangely touching, howlingly funny and a worthy addition to any collection.

Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh's best known book, follows this set of DVDs from Mr. Waugh's other books delightfully done into film. "Scoop" is a marvelous comedy in the true British humor style, jolly good, bloody good cheer, frightfully jovial, & spot on. "A Handful of Dust" balances this paired genius of Waugh, by presenting a dark 1930's period romance drama. Top British stars permeate the casts of these stories creating an upper-4 to 5-star rating for each 2-hr DVD. Exceptional film achievement at turning classic books to entertaining films.

"SCOOP" is an unusual comic story from Waugh. Wm Boot, (Michael Maloney--"Bonekickers" "Painted Lady"; see my reviews) is a nature columnist who writes "Lush Places" for "The Daily Beast" of London. He is mistakenly sent to Jacksonburg, capitol of Ismaelia, Africa, by the paper chief, Lord Copper (Donald Pleasence--"Centennial" "Halloween") to cover Ismaelia's civil war. Mr. Salter (Denholm Elliott--"A Child's Christmas in Wales")the newspaper's foreign editor is Boot's London contact. Boot's Uncle Theodore Boot (Michael Hordern) is just one of Boot's quirky country family members who get involved in this farce. In Ismaelia, Boot meets lovely blond Garbo-like Katchen (Renee Soutendijk) who's alluring but beguiling.

Scoop is from Waugh's 1938 novel, bonus includes a Waugh bio, filmographies of top cast members, and SUBTITLES.

"A HANDFUL OF DUST" a 1930s period drama (Waugh book released in 1934) stars Kristen Scott Thomas as Lady Brenda Last and her husband Tony (James Wilby) who are at work on refurbishing the family home, Hetton, to Brenda's boredom. She takes a flat in London for entertainment, which includes a gentleman friend, John Beaver (Rupert Graves--"Forsyte Saga"). It is a satire of the British idle rich, including the frivolity of Brenda accepting the not-rich-enough suitor in Beaver, aided by his mother, Mrs. Beaver (Judi Dench--"Cranford" "As Time Goes By") who is also Brenda's London landlady, not by chance. In the midst of the affair, son John Andrew Last is accidentally killed (the dark part). Brenda leave the estate for lover John (the romantic bit). Tony refuses divorce terms and begins a tour in Brazil (another dark drama bit). The ending will be left to your viewing, and the written mastery of Evelyn Waugh. Other stars include Angelica Huston and Alec Guinness.

A Handful of Dust, DVD, includes Waugh's bio, stories main cast filmographies, and the ever-helpful SUBTITLES.

No attempt is made in this review to compare book and film versions. Films can NEVER present all that is in a book unless done as a long series such as Brideshead Revisited. By the way, I recommend the much longer British TV version [Brideshead Revisited (25th Anniversary Collector's Edition)], over the shorter, newer theatrical presentation.

Now that I've enjoyed Evelyn Waugh books adapted 3 times (those listed above) I shall have to order another already available, which was promoted on this listing's "Evelyn Waugh Collection." He (yes, true, Evelyn is a man) also wrote, "Sword of Honor", a rewriting of three earlier WWII books done into one volume, which was adapted to film under the same title. Can't wait, the previews look enticing, if you like period war stories. I do! Can't wait!

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Perfect escape...just a great set of movies when you want to just sit and enjoy.