To me, one of the hallmarks of a good movie is when I forget myself, and feel apart of the world the movie/series is trying to create. There is no sense that Justine Waddell is pretending to be Molly Gibson. She - is- Molly Gibson. And it's not just Waddell, all of the characters are convincing as real people. Mr. Gibson's emotions are so intense, and yet realistic. His humor is incredible, and he really shines next to his foil, (played by Francesca Annis).
The chemistry is just what all films strive to have. If you like Michael Gambon at all, you cannot miss his performance. Many of the characters are conflicting in their temperaments. One of the characters actually makes a note of it. To find so many actors who can show love, compassion, anger, joy, depression, indifference, anxiety... they are all so dynamic.
In general, I find that period pieces (which I ADORE) fall into a couple different categories. Some of the ones from the 80s are rather stuffy for the casual viewer. If you liked the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, give this a try. It doesn't have the pace of that film, but it has a similar chemistry for a modest sized cast, and also it's more visually pleasing than older period pieces.
You can also get a better sense of the actors' skills by seeing their other films as well. Similar films with these characters include, among many:
Cranford - Barbara Flynn, Deborah Findlay, Michael Gambon, Francesca Annis
(1995 P&P) - Barbara Leigh-Hunt
Sense and Sensibility - Elizabeth Spriggs
Mansfield Park - Justine Waddell
(2005 P&P) - Tom Hollander, Rosamund Pike
Cranford is also based on Elizabeth Gaskell's writings... so if you enjoy this, by all means, see Cranford!
Wives and Daughters is in my top 5 :)
The chemistry is just what all films strive to have. If you like Michael Gambon at all, you cannot miss his performance. Many of the characters are conflicting in their temperaments. One of the characters actually makes a note of it. To find so many actors who can show love, compassion, anger, joy, depression, indifference, anxiety... they are all so dynamic.
In general, I find that period pieces (which I ADORE) fall into a couple different categories. Some of the ones from the 80s are rather stuffy for the casual viewer. If you liked the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, give this a try. It doesn't have the pace of that film, but it has a similar chemistry for a modest sized cast, and also it's more visually pleasing than older period pieces.
You can also get a better sense of the actors' skills by seeing their other films as well. Similar films with these characters include, among many:
Cranford - Barbara Flynn, Deborah Findlay, Michael Gambon, Francesca Annis
(1995 P&P) - Barbara Leigh-Hunt
Sense and Sensibility - Elizabeth Spriggs
Mansfield Park - Justine Waddell
(2005 P&P) - Tom Hollander, Rosamund Pike
Cranford is also based on Elizabeth Gaskell's writings... so if you enjoy this, by all means, see Cranford!
Wives and Daughters is in my top 5 :)