Desperate Romantics
2009
It's London, 1851. The city is in the throes of the industrial revolution. But amongst the dirty red bricks and smoke stacks are four young, thrill-seeking artists - steadfast William Holman Hunt, naive John Millais, mischievous Dante Gabriel Rossetti and budding journalist Fred Walters - otherwise known as the Brotherhood. .. Read more
| Starring | Aidan Turner, Rafe Spall, Tom Hollander, Samuel Barnett |
|---|---|
| Director | Diarmuid Lawrence |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, Television |
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Desperate Romantics
It's London, 1851. The city is in the throes of the industrial revolution. But amongst the dirty red bricks and smoke stacks are four young, thrill-seeking artists - steadfast William Holman Hunt, naive John Millais, mischievous Dante Gabriel Rossetti and budding journalist Fred Walters - otherwise known as the Brotherhood. Their quest for artistic immortality takes them into some of the lewdest, darkest and funniest corners of the city. Joining them is sassy, sexy model Lizzie Siddal. But is she risking it all with this dangerous bunch? With a glossy look, and a driving contemporary soundtrack, Desperate Romantics is a character-driven romp through the alleyways, studios, brothels and chop-houses of 19th century London.
| Starring | Aidan Turner, Rafe Spall, Tom Hollander, Samuel Barnett, Zoe Tapper, Amy Manson, Sam Crane, Jennie Jacques |
|---|---|
| Director | Diarmuid Lawrence |
| Studio | 2 ENTERTAIN VIDEO |
| Run time | DVD: 5 hrs 30 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, Television |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Hearing-impaired | English |
| Released | DVD: 21 Sep 2009 Production year: 2009 |
| Format | DVD |
Desperate Romantics (2 discs) (2009)
Or you can rent each disc individually:
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Most helpful member's review
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2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Pre Raphaelite Romping.
I have never been fond of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood of Artists and started to watch this series with some trepidation. It has always seemed to me that the paintings were painted with a mixture of sugar, syrup and treacle, and indeed the pictures portrayed by this series did nothing to dispel this feeling.
However, this is much more than a simple biography of Millais, Hunt and Rossetti with illustrations of their work. It is a delightful modern romp through mid-nineteenth century London. The acting and sheer verve is superb and the appearance of the piece is sumptuous. The storyline crackles along at a great rate with plenty of erotic scenes handled with great humour. This is not a serious biographical study and all the better for that. There are some rather interesting takes on the historical facts which add to the fun and scandal of the piece: Ruskin's destruction of the many pornographic drawings of Turner is used to good effect to introduce his pandering to Millais for instance. In other words, it puts a Romantic Spin on the truth. The Arts and Crafts Movement don't come off particularly well: Morris is depicted as a Country Bumpkin, but it all adds to the fun.
I heartily enjoyed the series and would recommend it to anyone, whether or not you like or dislike the paintings. After all, the truth should never get in the way of a good story! -
Most recent members' review
View all -
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful
Pre Raphaelite Romping.
I have never been fond of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood of Artists and started to watch this series with some trepidation. It has always seemed to me that the paintings were painted with a mixture of sugar, syrup and treacle, and indeed the pictures portrayed by this series did nothing to dispel this feeling.
However, this is much more than a simple biography of Millais, Hunt and Rossetti with illustrations of their work. It is a delightful modern romp through mid-nineteenth century London. The acting and sheer verve is superb and the appearance of the piece is sumptuous. The storyline crackles along at a great rate with plenty of erotic scenes handled with great humour. This is not a serious biographical study and all the better for that. There are some rather interesting takes on the historical facts which add to the fun and scandal of the piece: Ruskin's destruction of the many pornographic drawings of Turner is used to good effect to introduce his pandering to Millais for instance. In other words, it puts a Romantic Spin on the truth. The Arts and Crafts Movement don't come off particularly well: Morris is depicted as a Country Bumpkin, but it all adds to the fun.
I heartily enjoyed the series and would recommend it to anyone, whether or not you like or dislike the paintings. After all, the truth should never get in the way of a good story! -
News and features
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Holmes is more Romantic than Tyler
- 03 Nov 2009
Katie Holmes has landed a role in new movie The Romantics after Liv Tyler dropped out of the project. The Lord of the Rings star had signed up to act alongside an all-star cast including Anna Paquin, Josh Duhamel, Malin Akerman and Elijah Wood in the romantic comedy, which focuses on eight friends from college who reunite for a wedding. But Tyler has now walked away from the film and studio bosses have drafted in Holmes as a last-minute replacement, according to Daily Variety. The movie will... Read more
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It's London, 1851. The city is in the throes of the industrial revolution. But amongst the dirty red bricks and smoke stacks are four young, thrill-seeking artists - steadfast William Holman Hunt, ... -