What's new for 2011 in Period Drama?

The Three Musketeers coming October 2011

Well, now that The King's Speech is old news, along with Downton Abbey, Jane Eyre and Upstairs Downstairs, what do we Period Drama addicts have to look forward to?

Logan Lerman, Luke Evans, Ray Stephenson and Matthew Macfadyen in The Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers with Matthew Macfadyen, Orlando Bloom and Milla Jovovich looks promising. I am old enough to remember the 1973 version with Michael York, who I thought was quite a hottie at the time. Now I am perfectly willing to see this one for Matthew Macfadyen alone let alone Luke Evans who I loved in Tamara Drewe. Looks a bit Matrix-y with bodies and swords flying in slow motion (and I'm never thrilled with 3-D) but I might even be able to drag one of my teenagers to this one!

Colin Firth and Gary Oldman in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Tinker Tailor Soldier, Spy looks like it might be a better flick. "In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6's echelons." Again, need I say more than Colin Firth? Or Gary Oldman? Mark Strong? Ciaran Hinds? Benedict Cumberbatch? And the involvement of one of my fave female comediennes, Kathy Burke (if you have never seen her as a teenage boy in Kevin and Perry, here is your link to YouTube) intrigues me!

Ones which are being talked about but not solid yet are Emma Thompson's redo of My Fair Lady. Also a new Wuthering Heights seems to be in the offing. And sketchier yet are Oscar Wilde's A Woman of No Importance and a possible new Middlemarch. Let's hope they all come through and are worth seeing!

South Riding with Anna Maxwell Martin concludes Sunday May 15, 2011 on PBS

Anyhoo, I'll be watching PBS Masterpiece again this Sunday night as South Riding wraps up and that's all for this season on Masterpiece. Waaaahhhhh!

Cheers, and let me know if there is anything else you have heard of and are looking forward to. And in the meantime, I'll keep trying to get some girlfriends together to see Water for Elephants. Or I could just keep checking the lists on Charleybrown's Enchanted Serenity of Period Films for old ones I haven't seen yet. There are a lot I haven't seen!

Tamara Drewe-Far From The Madding Crowd?

Tamara Drewe Movie Poster

Tamara Drewe is an interesting little film based directly on a graphic novel (read comic book) by Posy Simmonds originally published in serial form in The Guardian newspaper. A takeoff on Hardy's Far From The Madding Crowd, it is a modern day version, much like Bridget Jones's Diary is a modern riff on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.  Directed by Stephen Frears (of The Queen and Dangerous Liaisons), it follows a journalist back to her hometown, after she has transformed her appearance through rhinoplasty.

Image from Posy Simmonds' graphic novel Tamara Drewe

It is a rather farcical sex romp through the gorgeous Dorset countryside, so if bed hopping in films bothers you, consider yourself warned. The star is Gemma Arterton, famous for her Bond Girl portrayal of Strawberry Fields in Quantum of Solace.  The real stars however are the two foul-mouthed teenage girls Jody and Casey who hang out in a disused bus shelter and spy on the entire community of Ewedown. They seem to be the only ones who really know what's going on and we see the happenings in the community through their eyes. I must say that they are real modern teens so if you are offended by teen talk and behavior that hasn't been whitewashed for middle-aged viewing, avoid this one. As the mother of a 16 year old boy, I thought it was hysterical, as did my son who plopped down 20 minutes into the film and stayed for the duration.

Casey and Jody, the real stars of Tamara Drewe

I originally saw this in a small art house theatre with a group of girlfriends who appreciate the British sense of humour. It was equally appreciated by my husband and son however, so as long as you're not prudish you'd probably enjoy this one too. This film may actually send me back to read Far From The Madding Crowd as it has been ages since I've read a Hardy novel. I should also see the film version starring Julie Christie but it's from 1967 and must be looking pretty dated by now. Sounds like we need Andrew Davies again!

Update-apparently it was done in 1998 for TV starring Paloma Baeza (from The Way We Live Now) and Jonathan Firth (brother of Colin and star of Victoria and Albert). This version sounds better than the Julie Christie one!

Gemma Arterton as a modern Bathsheba in Tamara Drewe

In short, I can highly recommend this one for a weekend rental. Entertaining and not likely you'll predict how it ends! Cheers!