Well, once again another successful year of Masterpiece Classic has come to a close. Although not as good as last year's, there were several good episodes. This year's adaptations were easy to rate:
#6. The Old Curiosity Shop: I was very disappointed in this last episode! There was little plot, little character development, and not enough time was spent on developing the story. When it went off, I said "Whatever" and went to bed. A very pitiful way to end the season compared to last year's Cranford.
#5 Wuthering Heights: To me, this story was pretty confusing. If you haven't read the books, you'll probably have the same results. Now Tom Hardy was pretty good as Heathcliff, but better in Oliver Twist. Also, this story didn't grip me as much as the others did. My biggest problem with this movie was probably because...I don't like Katherine. Moving on.
#4 Oliver Twist: Of the few adaptations of this story I have seen, this is my favorite. First of all the cast was great. Beginning with William Miller as Oliver Twist, who met every expectation as the character and who demonstrated very fine acting abilities. Then Adam Arnold as The Artful Dodger was absolutely excellent, and portrayed his character well. Sophie Okonedo as the compassionate Nancy, Timothy Spall as eccentric Fagin, and Sarah Lancashire as the corny Mrs. Corney were also good. However my favorite actor in this movie was Tom Hardy as Bill Sykes, who is currently one of the best actors of this time. As far as everything else, the story was complete, the cinematography was good, and the music was...well, interesting.
#3 David Copperfield: This Dicken's classic starring Daniel Radcliff, is definitely a favorite. The screenplay was good, and the actors were brilliant! Daniel Radcliff and Ciaran McMenamin as David Copperfield, Maggie Smith as Betsey Trotwood, Pauline Quirke as Peggoty, and Zoë Wanamaker as Jane Murdstone were my favorites. My favorite scenes in this movie are when Betsey Trotwood tells Mr. Murdstone off, and when Uriah Heep is banished to Australia. (That's what I call sweet revenge!).
#2 Little Dorrit: Runner up in this list is Little Dorrit. This was very good, and most of it is due to my sudden love for the characters. Above all, my favorite is Mr. Dorrit, followed by Arthur Clennam, John Chivery, Amy Dorrit, Flora Finching, and Pancks. In this movie, I think the characters kept the story going, because there seemed to be some inconsistencies. Here is a comment I left about this film, on my sister's blog:
I was disappointed in some of the plot, though.
First, Tattycoram's part, secondly the hidden relationship of Mr.Cadsby and Miss Wade, and third how the Gowans were left hanging. I really think the best and strongest characters in the story were Mr. Dorrit, Amy Dorrit, Arthur Clennam, and John Chivery.I also thought that Pancks, Mrs Plornish, and Affrey added a little bit of comic relief.As the for the villain, Rigaud, I thought he was great. He would suddenly appear in, (what seemed like), the weirdest or most confusing times, adding to the suspense.Overall, it was good, but definitely lacking in areas.
#1 Tess of the d'Urbervilles: This was the most outstanding movie this season! Gemma Arterton, was excellent as Tess. First, she did not portray Tess as pathetic, but unlucky, and she played her character so strongly, that if I see her in anything else, she will still be Tess. Secondly, this movie gripped me. And third, the screenplay was great. Watching it, made me feel so many things. Not many movies you watch give you a 'feeling', but this one did. I was frustrated, happy, sad, and angry all at the same time. This was such a good movie that it is ranked #1 for this season, hands down.
If you watched this year's Masterpiece Theatre Classic, please vote on my
sister's poll for your favorite episode this year.
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