Masterpiece Classic is done for the season

Sadly, Masterpiece Classic is over and Mystery is starting up for the summer; I don't watch that third of MT so I have to wait for the fall and Masterpiece Contemporary to start.

Classic finished with a bang, that is the bombs of WWII London. Small Island was the story of the Empire, the colonial experience, the wartime and postwar experience, and gender roles in Britain. Jamaican colonists served the mother country during the war and a few fell in love with British women, lonely without their husbands. Such was the story of Queenie, who fell in love with a Jamaican soldier. After becoming pregnant by him and realizing her husband left her, she takes in two Jamaican newlyweds as boarders. Hortense and Gilbert are proud people but face the harsh reality that the Yanks introduced racism in Britain and it's not going away. In the end, Queenie's husband returned in shame, but Queenie vows to work on her marriage and gives her baby to Hortense and Gilbert, who start a bountiful life together.

Masterpiece had a darker, twentieth century focus this year, as promised. Return to Cranford failed to capture the magic of its predecessor, but was a warm story nonetheless. Emma continued with the nineteenth century, and according to rumors is the last Austen story to get a treatment in a while. I loved it. The 39 Steps was ok, but not good. I skipped Sharpe, having not seen the previous installments. The Diary of Anne Frank was another wonderful story, and was aptly followed by the WWII drama Small Island. No long series this time; Emma was three installments and Small Island two, but other than that, we weren't treated to the 5 parters that made Masterpiece a name for itself.

The Best of the This Season:

1) Emma

2) The Diary of Anne Frank

3) Small Island

4) Return to Cranford

5) The 39 Steps

Sharpe, didn't watch; Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were repeats.

I don't mind the modern series but I'm hoping for more period pieces come next winter/spring.

The Diary of Anne Frank

Masterpiece Classic aired the two hour new adaptation of "The Diary of Anne Frank" on Sunday. This was a really moving and powerful adaptation of the young Jewess' diary of the trials and tribulations of living in captivity during WWII. It's streaming online for a week at the PBS website.

The cast were all British but they did a faithful job recreating the Jewish experience and acting as the Dutch. I love the old movie from the 50s, but this one did as good a job with the story. Ellie Kendrick, a newcomer to acting, portrayed Anne deftly as the stubborn, sometimes petty, but courageous teenager she was. Her romance with Peter Van Damme was really sad because you knew they wouldn't live to fulfill the dreams they spoke of. Her parents gave rousing performances, and Felicity Jones captured Margo Frank's demureness but resoluteness.

I wept at the end of this movie. You'd have to be a Nazi yourself not to be moved to tears by this story. Anne was just a girl with big dreams and high hopes, but it was human hatred that denied her a chance to live them out. She was a human being, but her transition into womanhood is relateable for any teen, regardless of gender. Her struggle with comprehending the mad world around her is heartbreaking.

This was truly a Masterpiece.

Masterpiece's The 39 Steps

Sunday night, Masterpiece Classic aired "The 39 Steps," a remake of the Hitchcock classic that purports to be more faithful to the source material. Simply put, this was a disappointment.

"The 39 Steps" was about a man who has to run away from German spy hunters who want a code book he has. Along the way, he gets caught up with a suffragette. There's a "shocking" twist ending involving her coming back to life. The acting was solid, and the filming and music (while not groundbreaking) was competent.

What made the movie less than perfect was the myriad of historical inaccuracies. I'm not being nit picky by saying this either. The movie was set before WWI, but the clothing, cars, planes, etc were from all over the historical record: be it the 1900s, the 1910s, the roaring twenties or the miserable thirties. Hitchcock transported the story to before WWII, with Nazi spy hunters instead of Imperial ones, and I think that would have still been effective in the remake. There wasn't much chemistry between the main characters, which made the romance unbelievable. The story was so fast paced that I was left confused during the entire thing. It was like the audience never had a chance to catch up with every plot twist, in a very plot twist heavy story.

The casting seemed a little off. It wasn't a major problem of the piece whatsoever. However, Rupert Penry Jones (who played Wentworth in Persuasion) is more of a pretty boy than a rough-and-tumble spy. It would've been like casting Madonna as a garbage man, there's just something off about it. I also lament that David Haig, who is a stage actor of the highest calibre, had a bit part in this. Did he need the paycheck?

Masterpiece has had its share of hits and misses, but this was like any other TV movie, cheap and poorly produced. Next week's selection is an installment in the Sharpe series. With Padma Lakshmi of Top Chef starring in it, I am apprehensive about its quality but we shall see.

On TV: Masterpiece's Persuasion

Tune into Masterpiece Classic on PBS tonight for a magical and sumptuous adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Persuasion.”

Jane Austen wrote “Persuasion” on her death bed, and if anything it is a novel of regrets. It is her most serious work, without the frilliness of some of her other novels. Anne Elliot was in love with the dashing, but poor, Captain Wentworth many years ago. She was persuaded by a friend of the family to reject his marriage proposal. She never saw him again. Life past by her with longing and pining. Her youth faded away as her father, sister, and a hanger-on, Ms. Clay, continued with their typical selfish and vain ways. Baronet Elliot is forced to lease his estate to an admiral because of the threat of financial ruin. Anne goes to the country to stay with her sister (who provides the only typical Austen humor of the novel, though in this case quite sad as she is so self centered). Then Captain Wentworth shows up, more rich and more handsome than ever. He treats her quite rudely at first but they are forced to spend time together as her sister’s in-laws and the admiral enjoys spending time with him. The company goes to Lyme Regis, a coastal resort town and Anne takes care of her niece who gets injured. This reawakens Wentworth’s love for her, seeing that she is, and always was, a good person. She goes to Bath to see her father and Ms. Clay. They attend the social events of the popular resort city. While attending a concert she can bear it no longer, she must tell Wentworth her feelings. They defy the social conventions of the day and leave the concert only to be cut short. Later, Anne and Wentworth finally have an opportunity to tell each other that they still love each other.

This adaptation captures the moving yet poignant aspects of the story. Sally Hawkins plays Anne Elliot with quiet earnestness. Rupert Penry Jones is so good as Wentworth, it’s as if he jumped from the page to the screen. Anthony Head (who starred in “Repo! The Genetic Opera”) captures the vanity and selfishness of Mr. Elliot. Alice Krige plays the meddling but well-meaning Lady Russell that persuades Anne.

There’s a debate in the Janeite community about this film: some hate and some love it. The direction is flowing. The filming locations are beautifully shot: whether the waves crashing at Lyme Regis, the damp cobblestones of the Georgian Crescent in Bath, or the verdant green lawns of the countryside, the scenery will stick with you. The music, composed by the masterful Martin Phipps, is gorgeous. It captures the poignancy and passion of the story deftly. My only gripe is the costumes, they don’t change clothes that often. The ending scene, when Anne runs down the stone streets of Bath caused a stir, but this minor change from the novel is a moving and touching scene.

If you’re in for a wonderful, compelling, and tender film watch “Persuasion.” It’s not fluffy by any means, and is quite a serious, mature story. Regrets are turned into happiness in this, the best of Austen’s stories.

Masterpiece's Emma is television at its best

Masterpiece Classic recently aired three part series “Emma,” a wondrous and sprightly adaptation of Jane Austen’s timeless novel.

“Emma” is the story of Emma Woodhouse, a silly teenager who considers herself a matchmaker of the best sort, though she most certainly is not. Her immaturity provides for some entertaining and endearing moments. Emma is so busy meddling with people’s love lives that she doesn’t realize the man of her dreams literally lives next door: Mr. Knightley, the perfect gentleman archetype of all of Austen’s novels.

This adaptation surpassed the older A&E one with a miscast Kate Beckinsale. This “Emma” was sharp, dazzling, vibrant and engaging. The acting was impeccable, of note is the scene when Knightley confronts Emma in the drawing room about hindering the engagement of Harriet and Robert Martin. The two verbally duel in a battle of morals that showcases Austen’s wit.

The colors in this series were captivating! Whether a scarlet gown, or verdant hedges, or auburn wood chairs, the color palate the art director employed was enriching to the overall series.

And we of course cannot fail to mention the characters. All of them memorable and humorous, the acting of this “Emma” never failed. Accomplished actor Michael Gambon played the warm but preoccupied Mr. Woodhouse. Blake Ritson, of 2007’s “Mansfield Park” played the bumbling but attractive Mr. Elton. Romola Garai, of “Atonement,” played the titular Emma Woodhouse, in all her immature but lovable glory. Jonny Lee Miller (who, like Ritson, played Edmund Betram in a previous adaptation of “Mansfield Park”) played Mr. Knightley, Emma’s stern but passionate neighbor.

As for the quintessential question of Austen, which of the gentleman in this “Emma” wins our approbation and highest regard? Mr. Elton. Though a total fraud and rather comical, Mr. Elton has the right combination of looks and charm. When he proposes to Emma in the carriage, you’ll both cheer and laugh. A marvelous combination indeed.

“Emma" had been low on my list of favorite Jane Austen stories, but this series may just move it up a spot. Though it didn’t win over audiences in Britain, American audiences haven't yet tired of Austen adaptations. If ever you are in the mood for a droll and enchanting series, check out “Emma.”