This 1989 BBC adaptation of the great Dickens classic is neither the best of films nor the worst of films. Kim and I viewed Part I last night, eager to swoon over some British and French hotties in the form of Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay. We're not sure if it was the late '80s factor or not, but the actors playing both men are strangely attractive and yet strangely not. (They only barely resembled one another enough to make the final plot twist feasible, incidentally.) Lucie Manette has the porcelain doll look down pat, though her hair is huge (again, late '80s influence?) I found the movie lacked some of the author's wit and charm, but as plotlines go it was very faithful to the text. I'm happy to resume Part II next week, but when it comes to Dickens flicks, I prefer the 1999 version of "Great Expectations," (starring the delicious Ioan Gruffudd) which is scheduled for an upcoming movie night.
Chocolate rating: A new feature of this blog, Kim and I have decided to rate the gourmet chocolate we sample during each film. This week's selection, Sao Tome Reserva Chocolate from Trader Joe's, was too bitter to be enjoyable and we opted not to finish it, which is normally unheard of. We may as well have been eating unsweetened baker's chocolate. I'd give it a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. What a travesty. -- Amy
Like the chocolate, the first episode of this adaptation left a bitter taste in my mouth. A Tale of Two Cities is my favorite Dickens' novel and ever since we watched The Scarlet Pimpernel a few weeks ago, I've been in the throes of a passionate obsession with anything related to the French Revolution. Unfortunately the hero in this version is too saccaharine for my taste. He only furthers my adoration for Richard E. Grant as Sir Percy. Xavier Deluc as Darnay is going to have to step it up (via a swordfight?) if he's going to convince me that he's capable of rescuing his father-in-law from blood-thirsty revolutionaries and ultimately Madame Guillotine. I think it's time for a fresh adaptation, perhaps starring Guillaume Canet from Jeux d'enfants and The Beach?
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