Tag: adaptation

The Forsytes/The Count of Monte Cristo Reviews

When life becomes too much, sometimes all you need is a good BPD (British Period Drama) to make you feel better.

The Forsytes

The new series, The Forsytes, premiered last weekend on PBS. It is based on The Forsythe Saga series by John Galsworthy. In 1880s London, the Forsyte family is new money traveling up the social ladder. Anne Forsyte (Francesca Annis) is the matriarch. Her sons, James (Jack Davenport) and Jolyon Sr. (Stephen Moyer), run the family firm with the help of their sons, Soames (Joshua Orpin) and Jo Jr. (Danny Griffin). Soames is all about work, while his cousin has forgone his dream of becoming an artist.

On the home front, Jo Jr. has been married to socialite Frances (Tuppence Middleton) for a decade. He is raising her now 18-year-old daughter, June (Justine Emma Moore), from a previous marriage as his own. There is also Louisa Byrne (Eleanor Tomlinson), a former maid servant turned seamstress, whom he was involved with before his marriage.

Soames has just met Irene Heron (Millie Gibson), a ballet dancer whose world has just turned upside down. There is a palpable attraction, but is it enough to get to the altar and have a happy ending?

Having not read the original text or watched the previous series, this review is based on this adaptation. So far, I am enjoying this series. It has everything I could ask for: drama, romance, family troubles, beautiful costumes, etc.

The Count of Monte Cristo

Based on the novel of the same name by Alexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo is the story of Edmond Dantes (Sam Claflin). A sailor who is about to marry a fisherwoman, Mercedes (Ana Girardot). The night before they are to say their vows, Edmond is arrested and accused of treason. Thrown into prison, he is advised by fellow prisoner Abbe Faria (Jeremy Irons) on how to seek revenge when he is released from jail. Abbe also warns that revenge, if gone too far, is an emotional poison.

Again, I have not read the book. My only knowledge of this story is the 2002 film. So far, I am enjoying it. Edmond is a man who goes from having it all to losing everything and becoming embittered by those who betrayed him.

Do I recommend them both? Yes.

The Forsytes aired on PBS on Sunday at 9 pm. The Count of Monte Cristo airs on PBS on Sunday at 10 pm.

Thoughts On the Teaser Trailer for Netflix’s Pride and Prejudice

It goes without saying that at this point, we don’t know a lot about this mini-series (other than the scant details that the teaser trailer provides). Emma Corrin and Jack Lowden (as Lizzy and Darcy, respectively) are hopefully well cast.

As long as it is not Netflix’s attempt (which is a loose term at best) at Persuasion, then it will (hopefully) fit just fine into the pantheon of previous adaptations of the book.

Pride and Prejudice will be released on Netflix later this year (date TBA).

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry Movie Review

It is easy to let life pass us by. Jobs, family responsibilities, day-to-day errands, etc., eat up time. Before we know it, the years have flown by in the blink of an eye.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was originally released in theaters in 2023 and just hit Netflix. It is based on the first book in the Harold Fry series by Rachel Joyce. The titular Harold Fry (Jim Broadbent) is an older gentleman who has just received a heartbreaking letter. A friend is in hospice and has written what may be her final correspondence. Harold tells his wife, Maureen (Penelope Wilton), that he is going out to the mailbox. Instead of returning home, he decides to walk the length of the country to see his pal one more time.

This is the type of film that makes the audience think. As Harold goes on his journey, memories of the past and his failings make their way to the surface. With age comes wisdom and perhaps regret of what was. What I related to was not the surface Harold, but the deeper man who is not perfect and reflects on his flaws. In the end, he finds forgiveness, but only after soul-searching and allowing himself to grieve.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is available for streaming on Netflix.

Laowang: A Chinatown King Lear Play Review

Shakespeare is one of the writers whose work remains relevant because his characters, at heart, deal with the human condition, warts and all.

Laowang: A Chinatown King Lear, by Alex Lin, is an adaptation of King Lear. A-Poh/Margaret Choy (Wai Ching Ho) is the owner of a Chinese restaurant in Manhattan’s Chinatown whose heyday is long gone. Wesley Chiu (Daisuke Tsuji) is a developer who wants to buy the building. Before making a decision, A-Poh brings in her three grandchildren for a family meeting. Amy (Cindy Cheung), Steven (Jon Norman Schneider), and Lai-Fa (Amy Keum) all want a piece of the final sale. On top of this major decision, A-Poh starts to exhibit signs of dementia, making them even more cutthroat.

At a crisp 90 minutes, this play is to the point, stripped down, universal, and brilliant. A-Poh is a woman who has worked hard to keep her business going and support her family. Knowing that is all in the past makes the downfall that much harder for all involved.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Laowang: A Chinatown King Lear is playing at 59 E 59 Theaters in New York City until tomorrow. Check the website for tickets and showtimes.

Throwback Thursday: Beauty and the Beast (1987-1990 & 2012-2016)

Interestingly, it takes a story for human beings to learn right from wrong. Specifically, fairy tales speak to us in a way that stays with us long after childhood.

Between 1987 and 1990, a then-modern adaptation was on the air. The “beauty” was Catherine Chandler (Linda Hamilton). Instead of working at her family’s white shoe law firm, she has chosen to work for the city as a district attorney. The “beast” is Vincent (Ron Perlman), a lion man who lives beneath the city streets in a series of caves. They are in love, but the worlds they live in keep them apart.

In 2012, the program was rebooted by the CW network and lasted four years. Kristin Kreuk is Catherine, now a detective instead of a lawyer. Vincent Keller (Jay Ryan) is a former soldier who the government has juiced with superpowers. They are trying to keep their romance as normal as any couple. When a powerful organization puts a target on their proverbial backs, Catherine and Vincent know that they cannot simply run.

I have recently rediscovered the 1980s program and understand why it is a cult classic. I also watched the CW version while it was on the air. While both are entertaining, I have to give the trophy to the Hamilton/Perlman pairing.

Do I recommend them? Yes.

Smash Musical Review

The term meta is described as the following:

Making or showing awareness of reference to oneself or to the activity that is taking place, especially in an ironic or comic way.

The new Broadway musical, Smash, is based on the television series of the same name. Ivy Lynn (Robyn Hurder, taking over from Megan Hilty) is set to star in a new musical about Marilyn Monroe. The director, Nigel (Brooks Ashmanskas), has his own vision for the show. The married writers Tracy (Krysta Rodriguez, the only holdover from the small screen) and Jerry (John Behlmann) can’t quite agree on the final narrative.

Ivy’s understudy, Karen (Caroline Bowman, stepping into Katharine McPhee‘s shoes), is ready should something happen to the leading lady. Chloe (Bella Coppola) wants to be more than an associate director and choreographer, but feels hemmed in by Nigel. Anita, the producer (Jacqueline B. Arnold), is trying to keep the production on schedule and keep the investors happy.

As the show starts to take shape, things get messy. Included in the mess is Ivy’s complete transformation into her character, for better and for worse.

If you’re a fan of the TV series and are expecting a 1:1 translation, prepare to be disappointed. Without being too specific, some changes almost border on being an adaptation in name only.

Hurder is a star. Her Ivy/Marilyn is full of contradictions. I have no doubt that her name will be at the top of the marquee for many years to come.

In an interesting meta on meta twist, Bowman was out. Her understudy stepped in for the performance.

Do I recommend it? Maybe. It’s fine, but in the pantheon of Broadway musicals, I would not call it one of the greats.

Smash is playing until June 22nd, 2025. Check the website for tickets and showtimes.

A Kiss at Midnight Book Review

Rooting for the underdog is a human reaction.

Eloisa James‘s A Kiss at Midnight was published in 2010. It is the first book in the Fairy Tales series. After the death of her father, Kate Daltry was left in the care of her stepmother. She is somewhere between a member of the family and a servant, depending on the day.

Roped into pretending to be her stepsister, Kate is not a happy camper. It is only supposed to be a few days to ensure that her sister’s marriage goes off without a hitch. The only way for that to happen is to get the approval of her soon to be brother in law’s nearest relation.

Prince Gabriel has his future planned out. His fiancée is on the way. She is everything he expects in a wife. What he does not anticipate is having his head turned by an English woman who is all wrong for him. She is without a fortune, not afraid to speak her mind, and refuses to treat him as other women do.

He knows that giving in to his heart goes against everything he should want. But there is something about Kate that cannot be ignored.

The smartest thing that James did was to de-saint Kate’s parents. In previous adaptations, Cinderella’s parents were paragons of perfection. Without spoiling, I will state that the author gave them flaws that added layers to the story.

This version made me understand (but not approve of) the actions of Kate’s stepmother. She is looking for her child’s future. Unfortunately, this can only be done by disenfranchising her stepdaughter.

My only issue with the title is that it needed a tad more line editing. The author repeated a specific word about a half dozen times, temporarily removing the fantasy of the tale.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

A Kiss at Midnight is available wherever books are sold.

Miss Austen Book Review

To be of a certain age can sometimes mean remembering what was and will never be again.

Miss Austen, by Gill Hornby, was published in 2020. In 1840, a now middle-aged Cassandra Austen is visiting with her loved ones and protecting her sister’s legacy. The action starts when she stays with the family of the fiancé who died decades ago. While looking for incriminating letters that Jane may have left behind, Cassandra must deal with her problematic hostess and the maid assigned to her care.

As Austen fans know, certain letters were destroyed by Cassandra to maintain Jane’s reputation. Because the contents were lost to the fire, the subjects mentioned remain a mystery. As a piece of fiction, Hornby brilliantly melds fact and myth into a woman who is sometimes forced into the shadows due to her sister’s fame.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Miss Austen is available wherever books are sold.

P.S. The PBS/Masterpiece miniseries adaptation of the book starring Keely Hawes is coming out in a few weeks. This is one that I am looking forward to.

Dracula My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker Book Review

In the tradition of classic literature that is written by men, women are usually cordoned off into specific character types.

Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker, by Syrie James, was published in 2010. Instead of just another reboot of Dracula, the author tells the story from the perspective of Mina Harker. In this adaptation, Mina is more than the damsel in distress/victim/love interest She believes that she loves her husband, Jonathan. But there is something about her mysterious lover that has revealed a part of herself that Mina never knew existed.

Mina knows that Dracula is harmful to everything and everyone around her. She has to stop him to save her world. Despite knowing the danger, she also is deeply in love with him. Mina is at a crossroads. Whichever path she chooses will inevitably affect the rest of her days.

As much as I like this book, it didn’t jive for me as some of her other titles did. I liked that Mina is much more complex than in the original text. Her conflict is at the core of the narrative. But, there is still something made me think it was just ok.

Do I recommend it? Maybe.

Dracula, My Love: The Secret Journals of Mina Harker is available wherever books are sold.

I’m Not Sure About Jacob Elordi as Heathcliff

When a book is transferred to film, television, or the stage, the reaction from the fanbase (depending on several factors) can range from thrilled to cringing.

The latest adaptation of Wuthering Heights is being helmed by actor/writer/director Emerald Fennell. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi have been cast as Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff respectively.

The response to this choice by Fennell has resulted in backlash. I have no problem with Robbie, but I have reservations about Elordi. Both are fine actors. The problem with him is twofold.

The first is that he is too pretty to be Heathcliff. This character is manly, rugged, and very dangerous if crossed. He is also explicitly referred to as “brown-skinned” and of an ambiguous background. Putting dark makeup on Ralph Fiennes was unfortunately still a thing thirty years ago. But in 2024, blackface is wholly unacceptable and archaic.

The second is that Bronte (like her sisters) did not write a light and frothy rom-com. This book is dark, messy (in a good way), and in some chapters, not for the faint of heart.

Obviously, the final judgment cannot be made until the movie is released. But until then, I can only hope that Fennell will do right by the source material and it’s creator.

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