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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2007
Running just under eight hours, in 30 minute doses, the BBC's television adaptation of Charles Dickens' mammoth novel BLEAK HOUSE is a stupendous success. Though it has been cast to perfection and is gloriously crafted, its chief asset is a brilliant teleplay by Andrew Davies that makes a 1000 page novel exciting, engrossing, and fully understandable. And co-directors Justin Chadwick and Susanna White make the action move furiously fast. This is television at its finest, and Dickens would be enthralled.
At the center of BLEAK HOUSE is the court case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce, which has been dragging on for decades. Three very sympathetic young people are potential heirs to a vast estate: Ada Claire (Carey Mulligan), Richard Carstone (Patrick Kennedy), and Esther Summerstone (Anna Maxwell Martin). Esther has mysterious parentage, hence a need for a true and up-to-date family will. The young heroines are staying with likeable and wealthy John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson). Family lawyer Tulkinghorn (magnificent Charles Dance) deals with an unpleasant money lender named Smallweed (Phil Davis), who may or may not have the original will in his possession that could hold the key to the whole case. Tulkinghorn sets about comparing handwriting in all the documents he can lay his hands on, while Smallweed berates his timid clerk Mr. Guppy. Lady Dedlock (the fabulous Gillian Armstrong) is also a key figure in the action. Is she guilty or not guilty of a major murder that takes place 2/3 of the way through? And what is her relationship to Esther?
The audience knows more than the characters, so we have a lot of suspense. But even the audience is caught off-guard when the mysterious past of Lady Dedlock is finally revealed. Writer Davies is also superb at focusing major attention on the important characters and keeping the lesser characters in the background. These include the timid law clerk Mr. Guppy, a nasty French maid who is a key murder suspect, police inspector Bucket (Alun Armstrong), and bird lover Miss Flite (Pauline Collins). Warren Clarke (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE a long time ago) has a small role. The cast is mostly unknown to me, except for the never-better Charles Dance and Gillian Armstrong. The ending is a very ironic, yet also happy one.
As stated above, this is the 15 part British television version of BLEAK HOUSE, in convenient 30 minute segments in case you want to do one a night after work and dinner. I got caught up in the exhilarating and atmospheric story fast and did the whole thing in three nights. It comes in three equally convenient parts in the DVD boxed set--175 minutes, 145 minutes, and 145 minutes. You can even hit "Play All" and do all three hours or two-and-a-half hours without moving from your chair or bed, except for a bathroom or food break as an episode break. For "Masterpiece Theatre" on American public television, I believe it was in 60 minute doses with recaps at the beginning of each episode. Those recaps are not on the DVD, seemingly were not shown on the BBC presentation, and could be helpful. But watch this whole supremely watchable and glorious Dickens adaptation in three consecutive nights, as I did on DVD, and you should have no problem in following the intricate story. It is all an irresistible invitation to tackle the huge novel. Don't let the eight hour length scare you off. This is as exciting and gripping as mystery television gets. And the entire cast is fabulous.
At the center of BLEAK HOUSE is the court case of Jarndyce vs. Jarndyce, which has been dragging on for decades. Three very sympathetic young people are potential heirs to a vast estate: Ada Claire (Carey Mulligan), Richard Carstone (Patrick Kennedy), and Esther Summerstone (Anna Maxwell Martin). Esther has mysterious parentage, hence a need for a true and up-to-date family will. The young heroines are staying with likeable and wealthy John Jarndyce (Denis Lawson). Family lawyer Tulkinghorn (magnificent Charles Dance) deals with an unpleasant money lender named Smallweed (Phil Davis), who may or may not have the original will in his possession that could hold the key to the whole case. Tulkinghorn sets about comparing handwriting in all the documents he can lay his hands on, while Smallweed berates his timid clerk Mr. Guppy. Lady Dedlock (the fabulous Gillian Armstrong) is also a key figure in the action. Is she guilty or not guilty of a major murder that takes place 2/3 of the way through? And what is her relationship to Esther?
The audience knows more than the characters, so we have a lot of suspense. But even the audience is caught off-guard when the mysterious past of Lady Dedlock is finally revealed. Writer Davies is also superb at focusing major attention on the important characters and keeping the lesser characters in the background. These include the timid law clerk Mr. Guppy, a nasty French maid who is a key murder suspect, police inspector Bucket (Alun Armstrong), and bird lover Miss Flite (Pauline Collins). Warren Clarke (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE a long time ago) has a small role. The cast is mostly unknown to me, except for the never-better Charles Dance and Gillian Armstrong. The ending is a very ironic, yet also happy one.
As stated above, this is the 15 part British television version of BLEAK HOUSE, in convenient 30 minute segments in case you want to do one a night after work and dinner. I got caught up in the exhilarating and atmospheric story fast and did the whole thing in three nights. It comes in three equally convenient parts in the DVD boxed set--175 minutes, 145 minutes, and 145 minutes. You can even hit "Play All" and do all three hours or two-and-a-half hours without moving from your chair or bed, except for a bathroom or food break as an episode break. For "Masterpiece Theatre" on American public television, I believe it was in 60 minute doses with recaps at the beginning of each episode. Those recaps are not on the DVD, seemingly were not shown on the BBC presentation, and could be helpful. But watch this whole supremely watchable and glorious Dickens adaptation in three consecutive nights, as I did on DVD, and you should have no problem in following the intricate story. It is all an irresistible invitation to tackle the huge novel. Don't let the eight hour length scare you off. This is as exciting and gripping as mystery television gets. And the entire cast is fabulous.
