Having been something of a Bronte-nut for the best part of 40 years, I looked forward to this ... but, having also seen most of the unutterable balls-ups made of the family's works and lives on film and television, the anticipation was mixed with a lot of trepidation. I needn't have worried. As other reviewers have said, this was almost certainly the best portrayal of the Brontes' lives that's ever been made. The three actresses who played the sisters were excellently cast; the chap who played Branwell was also very good, just managing to make the man appear pathetic rather than ridiculous; Jonathan Pryce's Irish accent may have slipped occasionally but this is a quibble. Of course, shooting the film at Haworth Parsonage gave the whole thing an unprecedented air of authenticity. All in all, a fairly superb piece of scriptwriting and film-making --- no genuine fan of the Brontes should be at all disappointed by it.
Okay, so here's the but, the reason I scored it 9 rather than 10. Firstly, I could've lived with a bit less of the Branwell story (compelling 'car crash' stuff though it is) and more on the sisters: the rather lopsided emphasis on the brother somewhat diminished and seemed to overshadow the lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne. And finally: I really didn't need a tour of the Haworth Parsonage Museum Gift Shop tacked on the bloody end!!!!! --- I presume the film-makers were contractually obliged to do this in exchange for permission to film in the parsonage.
Okay, so here's the but, the reason I scored it 9 rather than 10. Firstly, I could've lived with a bit less of the Branwell story (compelling 'car crash' stuff though it is) and more on the sisters: the rather lopsided emphasis on the brother somewhat diminished and seemed to overshadow the lives of Charlotte, Emily and Anne. And finally: I really didn't need a tour of the Haworth Parsonage Museum Gift Shop tacked on the bloody end!!!!! --- I presume the film-makers were contractually obliged to do this in exchange for permission to film in the parsonage.