Richard is such a stupid young man. He never knowns which side his bread is buttered. He is like Scrooge in that he has allowed the promise of money to take away everything. When John Jarndyce told him about decades of pain from the disposition of the money, he gets his back up. He is ripe for the picking and Mr. Vholes and Skimpole are ready to pick. iAlso, Ada has been true to him and we see the deterioration of the relationship. But mostly, we have our boy Tulkinghorn going after Lady Dedlock with some grand plan in mind. But something tells me that she has more in her quiver than a single arrow.
2 Reviews
Keeping secrets
TheLittleSongbird22 October 2019
Generally in my view Dickens' books work better as mini-series, with longer lengths to have more of the story in and more complexity. This brilliant adaptation of 'Bleak House', one of the highlights of 2005 and one of my favourite period drama literary adaptations of the past twenty years or so, proves that. The book is a difficult one to adapt, true for Dickens in general (even his most accessible 'A Christmas Carol' has challenges), and it is very admirably adapted here.
We are now in the second half of the adaptation, the ninth episode with six more to go, and the intrigue, high quality production values, absorbing and increasingly complex storytelling and outstanding acting all still remain. One can worry as to whether a long adaptation such as 'Bleak House' would run out of steam and lose momentum the closer it gets to the end, not the case here. If anything, the adaptation got even better.
Like the previous eight parts, cannot complain about the production values in Episode 9. It is beautifully shot and the handsome period detail is also evocative. The Victorian era look and atmosphere are nailed, as unforgiving as much as they are handsome being much more than just sumptuous costumes and interiors, one can truly tell that the living conditions back then were dangerous. The music fits nicely.
The characters are still interesting, the complexity and important character traits still maintained but expanded as one expects at this late stage too. The dialogue is literate and thoughtful in an accessible way, without being too wordy which is a feat as Dickens is talk-heavy and it can be quite dense. All of the major subplots are interesting, they don't bore and never found myself losing focus. Good to see Richard and Ada at their most interesting, more of Jarndyce and Skimpole beginning to fully show his full true colours.
All the acting is top notch again, love the understated dignity and nobility Denis Lawson brings to Jarndyce and there is affecting interaction between Anna Maxwell Martin and Carey Mulligan, both very good, and with Mulligan and Patrick Kennedy (growing as Richard). Gillian Anderson has not lost her conflicted edge, and Charles Dance and Phil Davis are perfectly repellent. Nathaniel Parker plays an absolute rat to perfection, when familiar with his other roles Skimpole is quite a departure for him.
In conclusion, brilliant. 10/10
We are now in the second half of the adaptation, the ninth episode with six more to go, and the intrigue, high quality production values, absorbing and increasingly complex storytelling and outstanding acting all still remain. One can worry as to whether a long adaptation such as 'Bleak House' would run out of steam and lose momentum the closer it gets to the end, not the case here. If anything, the adaptation got even better.
Like the previous eight parts, cannot complain about the production values in Episode 9. It is beautifully shot and the handsome period detail is also evocative. The Victorian era look and atmosphere are nailed, as unforgiving as much as they are handsome being much more than just sumptuous costumes and interiors, one can truly tell that the living conditions back then were dangerous. The music fits nicely.
The characters are still interesting, the complexity and important character traits still maintained but expanded as one expects at this late stage too. The dialogue is literate and thoughtful in an accessible way, without being too wordy which is a feat as Dickens is talk-heavy and it can be quite dense. All of the major subplots are interesting, they don't bore and never found myself losing focus. Good to see Richard and Ada at their most interesting, more of Jarndyce and Skimpole beginning to fully show his full true colours.
All the acting is top notch again, love the understated dignity and nobility Denis Lawson brings to Jarndyce and there is affecting interaction between Anna Maxwell Martin and Carey Mulligan, both very good, and with Mulligan and Patrick Kennedy (growing as Richard). Gillian Anderson has not lost her conflicted edge, and Charles Dance and Phil Davis are perfectly repellent. Nathaniel Parker plays an absolute rat to perfection, when familiar with his other roles Skimpole is quite a departure for him.
In conclusion, brilliant. 10/10
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