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The Forsyte Saga - Series 2 - To Let - Forsyte Saga [2002]


RRP: £19.99
Our Price: £20.29 (subject to change)

Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

The second series of The Forsyte Saga, based on John Galsworthy's To Let, moves the story of the sprawling, fractious and aristocratic Forsyte family into the 1920s. The drama shifts to a new generation shouldering the burdensome legacies of an aging Soames (Damian Lewis) and his failed marriage to free-spirited Irene (Gina McKee). The lovely Fleur (Emma Griffiths Malin), Soames' daughter by second wife Annette (Beatriz Batarda), and strapping Jon (Lee Williams), son of Irene and Soames' bohemian cousin, Jolyon (Rupert Graves), develop a romance much to the dismay of their feuding parents. But the long reach of the elder Forsytes' sins--and the tenderness with which they seek redemption through their children--ultimately undercuts the young lovers' happiness.

Meanwhile, sundry characters move in and out of the Forsytes' orbit, including a French businessman (Michael Maloney) stirring more troubles for Soames, and an art dealer (Oliver Milburn) with designs on Fleur. As with Series 1, all this will feel familiar to anyone who has seen the 26-part, 1967 version; yet this updated effort renews and redefines the Forsytes' overlapping tragedies, with a more interior feel and a first-rate contemporary cast. As with its legendary predecessor, this Forsyte Saga depends heavily on the seemingly soulless Soames' slow evolution to humanity; Damian Lewis carries the load brilliantly. --Tom Keogh


To Let - Book 3 in the Forsyte Saga Series
Review date: 2004-05-27 Rating: 8 out of 10

STARRING: Damian Lewis, Rupert Graves, Gina McKee and Michael Maloney

The third and final part to the Forsyte Saga series beginnning in 1908. The Edwardian Period is coming to a close and a new chapter in the Forsyte Family history has opened. Soames is now settled with his second wife, Annette (a poor French girl). He has his daughter Fleur Forsyte, the future of the Forsytes but not the boy he craved. Nevertheless Fleur is the apple of her father's eye and Soames is happy with the idyllic family set-up. However the First World War strikes and by 1919 everything has changed. The old order is dead and the last of the Old Forsytes, Aunt Hester struggles to cope with the Roaring Twenties. Soames also struggles but soon has to face the idea that his daughter has fallen in love with the son of his ex-wife and cousin, Jon Forsyte. Old memories resurface as the family rift is reawoken and the feud continues into a new generation. A nice end to the Saga, ending with a fitting truce between the great enemies, Irene and Soames. Be prepared for more deaths as Jolyon (Rupert Graves) and Dartie (Ben Miles) meet early ends. A joy to watch with just 4 episodes instead of 6. A powerful example of the great leap of changes from old Victorian Times to the modern and liberal 1920s.

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Reviews


ROMEO AND JULIET OF THE NINETEES
Review date: 2003-12-27 Rating: 8 out of 10

Damian Lewis and Gina McKee reprise theire roles as Soames and Irene forsyte in spectacular fashion in a highly charged rework of the forsyte saga set in the nineteen twenties. It is nineteen years since Irene left her brutish and controlling husband and fell in love and married his cousin Jolyon (Rupert Graves) and have a son Jon. Soames has also married again, to former soho shop girl Annette and has a daughter, Fluer, a spoilt daddys girl used to getting her own way. so when the two youngsters meet, Fleur sets her mind on having jon and as their
love grows, so does the rift between the two families, with Fluer and Jon determined to marry and be together and the determination of the parents that they must be kept apart.

love denied
Review date: 2003-12-26 Rating: 8 out of 10

Damien Lewis and Gina mckee return to the small scren as soames and irene Forsyte an ex marrige still fuelled by jelousy and revelsion. it is nineteen years since irene wlked out on brutich controling husband soames following her traumatic rape and is now happily married with soames cousin jolyon forsyte and theire son jon. soames meanwhile has also married again to the beatuifull french exshop girl annette and have a beutifull daughter Fluer a child accustomed to getting her own way. so when she sets eyes on the handsome jon forsyte at an art gallery she makes up her mind to him have oblivious to past that lingurs between their parents soames and irene and the couple begin a pasionate affair ripping apart old wounds that wer thought dead and buried dead.

First Class period Drama
Review date: 2003-11-04 Rating: 8 out of 10

To Let is the four part conclusion to the Saga, and well worth watching it is too.Yet again the lead cast are uniformly excellent. Damien Lewis, Rupert Graves and Gina McKee are the standouts again. Though the focus this time around is on the forbidden love between Soames and Irene's daughter and son respectivley, the romantic leads failed to rouse any emotions in me. The sumptuous production design was on display yet again
and was wonderful to look at. All in all a very well scripted drama and i couldn't help but find the resolution very moving indeed. Now, i haven't yet purchased this dvd yet because i fear that it will be a dreadful transfer, as was the first series dvd. I found that it didn't capture the lush colours that were on show in the televised version. The picture quality was mediocre to say the least. Ah well, fingers crossed the dvd makers have cleared up their act this time around.

A Triumph for British Drama
Review date: 2003-06-27 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is the DVD of a 4-part ITV drama special aired May-June 2003. The sequel to the previous year's highly acclaimed 'The Forsyte Saga' the series are based on John Galsworthy's first trilogy of books about the Forsyte family.
This series is a 'Romeo and Juliet' type story in which Fleur (the daughter of Soames) and Jon (the son of Soames' ex-wife Irene and her new husband) fall in love and fight, against the wishes of their families, to be together.
The acting is fantastic with excelling repeated performances by Gina McKee, Damian Lewis and Rupert Graves. I found that Fleur and Jon were played with real emotion and the two young actors easily held their own whilst leading a cast of such well-established actors.
This sequel was even better than the original excellent series and I would recommend it to everyone - young or old.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Ioan Gruffudd
Corin Redgrave
Gina McKee
Rupert Graves
Damian Lewis

Creators:
Damian Lewis (Primary Contributor)
Rupert Graves (Primary Contributor)
Andy Harries (Producer)
David Boulter (Producer)
Rebecca Eaton (Producer)
Jan McVerry (Writer)
John Galsworthy (Writer)
Stephen Mallatratt (Writer)

Director(s):

Recording label: Granada Media
Manufacturer: Granada Media
EAN: 5014138505004
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 2
Format: Anamorphic, PAL, Widescreen,
Release date: 2003-06-30
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 270 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2002-10-06
Language: English (Original Language)

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