The BBC has truly outdone itself with the wonderful production of "Cranford". The triumverate of Judi Dench, Eileen Atkins, and Imelda Staunton makes the series a sheer force of cinematic brilliance. All three of these leading lights prove incandescent, but their luminous talents do not vie for favor--rather, each actress brings her own magic to the performance, and each complements the other wonderfully.
Nor is the skill limited to this trio. The supporting cast is also well-matched, with legends Michael Gambon and Francesca Annis lending their assistance, as well as Simon Woods (whom I recognized from "Rome"), the lovely Lesley Manville ("The Cazalets", "North & South"--the 2nd being another Mrs. Gaskell adaptation), and the darling Claudie Blakely ("Gosford Park", as well as 2005's "Pride & Prejudice"), to name but a few.
Purists may squirm that this film is not a verbatim reproduction of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel of the same name, but incorporates much of that book's plotline as well as those of two of her other works , namely, "Mr. Harrison's Confessions" and "My Lady Ludlow". I found the result of this Gaskellian confluence supremely enjoyable.
Cranford's rural English society of the early 1840s is dominated by a cadre of thoroughly proper ladies, who are the self-appointed arbiters and guardians of local refinement and manners. They are governed by the imperious spinster Miss Deborah Jenkyns (Atkins). Her sister, Miss Mathilda (played by Dame Dench; also an old maid, she is popularly known as Miss Matty--one cringes to envision the result of a person daring to address her sister as "Miss Deb" or, even worse, "Miss DEBBIE") Jenkyns, is more gentle and mild; if Deborah is generally unyielding and stern, her sense of compassion and duty does ingratiate her character to the audience eventually. Miss Pole (Staunton) is easily the grande-dame of the village's gossip circuit and her near-hysterical antics in making certain she is "THE FIRST" to pass along juicy tidbits makes for several laugh-out-loud incidents.
While often lighthearted and amusing, "Cranford" does address more sobering issues, such as the rigorous class structure's inherent refusal to allow a person to better himself. This is best demonstrated by Lady Ludlow's (Annis) disgust at learning her head clerk, Mr. Carter, has taught young Harry Gregson (the son of a local squatter/poacher) to read and write. Literacy, according to Lady Ludlow, is a privilege solely reserved for the upper classes; if the lower orders were to attain it, they would not remember their place.
The imminent arrival of the railway in Cranford is another focal point of the storyline. The majority of the village's citizenry loathe the idea and are terrified of the great changes it will surely herald for them all. Romances, demises, losses of fortune, family squabbles, the bleaching of lace collars, and the manner in which to consume an orange with the greatest degree of propriety [quite seriously--and the results are most amusing!]: "Cranford" affords all this and much more, and will assuredly leave the viewer with a gleeful smile and a full heart.
"Cranford" was released on DVD in the United States May 20, 2008, with a runtime of 291 minutes--both the DVD and the novels on which the series is based are available from the Main Library.
Nor is the skill limited to this trio. The supporting cast is also well-matched, with legends Michael Gambon and Francesca Annis lending their assistance, as well as Simon Woods (whom I recognized from "Rome"), the lovely Lesley Manville ("The Cazalets", "North & South"--the 2nd being another Mrs. Gaskell adaptation), and the darling Claudie Blakely ("Gosford Park", as well as 2005's "Pride & Prejudice"), to name but a few.
Purists may squirm that this film is not a verbatim reproduction of Elizabeth Gaskell's novel of the same name, but incorporates much of that book's plotline as well as those of two of her other works , namely, "Mr. Harrison's Confessions" and "My Lady Ludlow". I found the result of this Gaskellian confluence supremely enjoyable.
Cranford's rural English society of the early 1840s is dominated by a cadre of thoroughly proper ladies, who are the self-appointed arbiters and guardians of local refinement and manners. They are governed by the imperious spinster Miss Deborah Jenkyns (Atkins). Her sister, Miss Mathilda (played by Dame Dench; also an old maid, she is popularly known as Miss Matty--one cringes to envision the result of a person daring to address her sister as "Miss Deb" or, even worse, "Miss DEBBIE") Jenkyns, is more gentle and mild; if Deborah is generally unyielding and stern, her sense of compassion and duty does ingratiate her character to the audience eventually. Miss Pole (Staunton) is easily the grande-dame of the village's gossip circuit and her near-hysterical antics in making certain she is "THE FIRST" to pass along juicy tidbits makes for several laugh-out-loud incidents.
While often lighthearted and amusing, "Cranford" does address more sobering issues, such as the rigorous class structure's inherent refusal to allow a person to better himself. This is best demonstrated by Lady Ludlow's (Annis) disgust at learning her head clerk, Mr. Carter, has taught young Harry Gregson (the son of a local squatter/poacher) to read and write. Literacy, according to Lady Ludlow, is a privilege solely reserved for the upper classes; if the lower orders were to attain it, they would not remember their place.
The imminent arrival of the railway in Cranford is another focal point of the storyline. The majority of the village's citizenry loathe the idea and are terrified of the great changes it will surely herald for them all. Romances, demises, losses of fortune, family squabbles, the bleaching of lace collars, and the manner in which to consume an orange with the greatest degree of propriety [quite seriously--and the results are most amusing!]: "Cranford" affords all this and much more, and will assuredly leave the viewer with a gleeful smile and a full heart.
"Cranford" was released on DVD in the United States May 20, 2008, with a runtime of 291 minutes--both the DVD and the novels on which the series is based are available from the Main Library.
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