I haven't read Thomas Hardy's novel on which this film was based, so I can't say for sure how closely it adheres to the source material, but the narrative that is presented under the assured eye of Thomas Vinterberg is engaging. The performances from Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts and Michael Sheen are also decent.
Whilst I enjoyed the narrative, I didn't particularly find any of the characters that compelling, as there was more of a focus on story than character development. Other minor faults include some pieces of dialogue sounding rather unnatural at points, but this wasn't too much of an issue.
Then again there is much to enjoy on a production level, with some lovely cinematography complimented by naturalistic lighting in the English countryside, whilst the musical score adds lots of gravitas and emotion to every scene.
In the end this is something I would recommend.
Whilst I enjoyed the narrative, I didn't particularly find any of the characters that compelling, as there was more of a focus on story than character development. Other minor faults include some pieces of dialogue sounding rather unnatural at points, but this wasn't too much of an issue.
Then again there is much to enjoy on a production level, with some lovely cinematography complimented by naturalistic lighting in the English countryside, whilst the musical score adds lots of gravitas and emotion to every scene.
In the end this is something I would recommend.