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Bleak House [2005]
![Bleak House [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ZVEWVMPAL._SL160_.jpg)
RRP: £24.99
Our Price: £16.75 (subject to change)
Surprised no-one mentioned the soundtrack
Review date: 2007-12-22 Rating: 6 out of 10
I am surprised that only one reviewer briefly mentioned the backing soundtrack. It is over-bearing and jars the viewing of the excellent acting. It never ceases to amaze me how superb acting is drowned in a morass of noise in this production. Why do they do it? It might just be me but I could not watch this for more than 20 minutes at a time as I got so annoyed by the less than subtle background noises and had to go to do something else. It seemed so incongruous to have a soundtrack blasting out and more suitable to a cheap adventure show than to this Victorian classic. Does every show have to have these ridiculous noises that presumably are to show you where the dramatic bits are? Just some advice to the sound effects people - I do not need your assistance, I can recognise the changes in mood myself. In fact, the noises came regardless of a change in mood! If I was not so lazy, I would measure the percentage of this drama that was without some artificial noise blaring out.
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Reviews
Consumate production
Review date: 2007-04-07 Rating: 10 out of 10
This is a fantastic adaptation of Dickens novel of greed, the perils of the law and the wish for easy money. The adaptation is superb and the acting is faultless from an ensemble cast. Gillian Anderson, as Lady Dedlock, is revelatory, but there is not a bad performance in the cast.
The story has everything: pace; romance; plot twists; comedy; goodies, baddies and flawed, complex, characters in-between. Add to that suitably beautiful costumes and wonderfully realised sets and you have a winner.
Highly recommended
Almost flawless production
Review date: 2007-02-02 Rating: 10 out of 10
Who would have believed a few years ago that the female star of TV's science fiction series 'X files' would have turned in such a captivating performance as Lady Dedlock in Dicken's Bleak House. Yet Gillian Anderson's acting in this production was breathtaking to say the least. All the other actors and supporting actors have to be congratulated for bringing this story to life, and in particular performances by Anna Maxwell Martin, Charles Dance and Phil Davis as the repugnant Smallweed were equally superb.
My only gripe were the rather gimmicky loud thunderclaps and lightning used to usher in each new scene, which was unwarranted. Other than that the DVD is well worth every penny and something you can return to time and again.
More than just a story.
Review date: 2007-01-04 Rating: 10 out of 10
Dickens wrote at a time where reading was the major form of entertainment and his novels were longish with beautifully entwined shorter stories.
Although over a century old I found I was putting modern faces to these old characters - Blair, Prescot. Hoon, Booth,Campbell,(Guess which role I thought Blair would play?), in fact all of today's politicians & their cronies play all these parts well in real life.
A great story well acted whether today or in a past age. Dicken's stories will always be current.
Well done BBC!
Superb and highly recommended
Review date: 2006-11-29 Rating: 10 out of 10
I had to respond to the last reviewer's comment about Gillian Anderson's wooden and stilted acting in this production of Bleak House. There is no doubt that she is superb in this well chosen cast. Her accent is superb and I for one have never seen such understated pain and torment conveyed in such a believable manner. May I ask the reviewer if they understood the story at all? She was supposed to be a tormented woman torn between attempting to preserve the reputation of her kindly husband's reputation by hiding her guilty secret of bearing an illigitimate child whilst coming to terms with the loss of her past lover's recent death.All this and black mail too as her secret disgrace is slowly discovered to her horror! Did the reviewer expect her to be happy?
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
John Lynch
Matthew Kelly
Gillian Anderson
Denis Lawson
Patrick Kennedy
Creators:
Gillian Anderson (Primary Contributor)
Matthew Kelly (Primary Contributor)
Director(s):
Recording label: 2 Entertain Video
Manufacturer: 2 Entertain Video
EAN: 5014503188023
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 3
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2006-02-20
Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 465 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2005
Language: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired)
Language: English (Original Language)