Bleak House Reviews

BBC at its best

This was a brave venture by BBC to serialise Bleak House much as Dickens wrote it i.e. in episodes.The transfer to tv written by Andrew Davies(also did the much acclaimed Pride and Prejudice)is excellent and completely faithful to the text.The cast reads like a whos who of the british theatrical establishment and all of the performances are exellent.Watch out for some great unexpected cameos e.g.Johnny Vegas as the sly drunkard landlord.

The plot of Bleak House is one of Dickens most complex revolving around the drawn out court case between Jarndyce v Jarndyce alongside numerous sub plots.Despite this the storyline is very gripping and draws you in like a modern thriller.

My only gripe about the production is the camera work which is often jerky or handheld and can be a bit distracting.Nevertheless after being rationed to 1/2 hour episodes its good to have the whole series pulled together on dvd.

If you missed it on tele rent it now.It will not disapoint even if you dont think you are a Dickens fan.

Couldn't stop watching

This series has the story by Charles Dickens and the history of the period rolled into one. I found it compulsive viewing. Having watched the hour long first episode I wanted to watch the rest. I was irritated by the fact that these are programmes put straight onto DVD so each has the credits at the beginning and the end of each episode and that each episode is only half and hour in length, but in its entirity this didn't spoil my enjoyment of the series. There is a good, well known cast, each plays their role well and makes the story come to life. It made me very grateful that we do not live in those times anymore.

A Real Classic Drama

This is a BBC drama production at its very best. I have been inclined to dismiss most of the traditional classics but the acting and camera work in this production puts a lot of box office releases into the shade. I am happy to pay my license fee if this is what the BBC produce! Recommended for good alround entertainment.

Bleak House

This whole series was excellent and compulsive viewing. The cast was magnificent and I can thoroughly recommend this.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Extraordinary

Sheer brilliance at work here as Dickens' multi-stranded plot is woven into a magical TV production. Bleak House works on every single level, and certainly left this viewer alternately gripped or moved, as Davies roles out the parallel stories of the Jarndyce wards and their companion Esther Summerson, and the slow, horrible destruction wrought on Honoria Deadlock.

Casting is absolute perfection, right down to the minor characters, and Chadwick, White and Rhode James have enabled the most delicious characterisations from every player. Maxwell Martin is delightful as Esther, making her totally believable and real - there isn't a trace of 'acting' in sight, so luminous and real is she. As Honoria Deadlock, Anderson is astonishing - post-X-Files, she has once again proved herself as one of the most versatile female actors around (reference also The House of Mirth and The Might Celt). Her ability to convey such intense emotions - grief, panic, terror - hidden behind a composed countenance is sublime. However, singling these two out in no way lessens the performances from other cast members - each in turn creates an incredibly believable character.

So one of the BBC triumphs of the decade, and unmissable in every respect!

Best of British

Excellent. Fantastic cast (including the excellent Gillian Anderson, so much more to her than 'Scully' in the X Files), wonderful adaptation, absolutely gripping.

Excellent costumes, settings and direction, this is the type of production the BBC does brilliantly.

Yes, I know GA is not really British!

Fabulous

If you like period romance and drama then this is one of the best. Very highly recommended, compelling viewing

Absolutely Boring

This is so boring i watched the first disc and was so bored that i cancelled the others. The camera angles are apalling and flit about all over the place. Overall a very disappointing and boring dvd

Magnificent acting performance

Superbe acting, but totally mismatched music effects and camera work: too trendy for a period film.

Excellent

I am absolutely hooked! have only watched the first disc and i cant wait to get the next one! the story,the set and costumes are amazing. i love charles dickens and this has stuck to the novel. i hate it when films are made of books and they miss out so much, but this one definately doesn't!