Product Description

Studio: Acorn Media Release Date: 09/13/2005 Run time: 180 minutes Rating: Nr

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16696 in DVD
• Brand: ACORN MEDIA
• Released on: 2005-09-13
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Formats: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 180 minutes

Amazon.com
From Sarah Waters, author of Tipping the Velvet, comes this twisting and twisted Victorian-era thriller with an L-word charge. Sally Hawkins stars as Sue, an orphan who grows up among the reprobates of Lant Street to become an accomplished "fingersmith" (thief). Elaine Cassidy costars as Maud Lilly, an heiress who, as a young girl, was plucked from the madhouse and raised by her stern, bibliophile uncle (Charles Dance). He makes her wear gloves at all times so as not to smudge the precious tomes he makes her read every night. Enter Richard Rivers (Rupert Evans, the otherwise sterling cast's weakest link), an artist hired to give her painting lessons. But he has designs on Maude's fortune, and recruits Sue for an elaborate con. That's when the gloves really come off. Originally broadcast on the BBC, this riveting three-part tale of illicit passion and betaryal is by turns harrowing and quite erotic (the tasteful sex scenes manage to generate heat without baring a lot of skin). The literate script reveals its feminist leanings ("You are a man and might do everything," Maude tells Richard during their first meeting. "I am a woman and might do nothing."). The superb cast includes Academy Award-nominee Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake) as Mrs. Sucksby, a Fagin-esque character who mentored Sue, and has a few surprises for Maud, as well. --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews

Excellent adaptation of brilliant book
I pre-ordered this dvd months ago, and I have to say it was worth the wait. The book could not have been easy to adapt. The novel is detailed and rich, and the plot is complicated. But the adaptation is excellent! Yes, some things were left out. Also, the movie does start a bit slowly (so did the book), and the part of Gentleman might have been miscast -- I was expecting someone more like Bruce Campbell. But the movie stands on its own as a literary piece. The movie and the book are both exceptional, but in different ways. The movie is great storytelling. In addition, the direction, acting, sets, and costumes are top notch. This is a very high quality production -- why can't American filmmakers make films like this?

My favorite movie this year!
Beautiful drama, suprising twists, true love. What else could you ask for in a movie? This has it all for me. The potential to be just another costume drama was there, but this movie far surpasses that description. Beautiful filming, great score. the dialogue is convincing and the actresses are wonderfull! see this movie you will not be sorry.

James1@OconeeAirService.com

Top-Notch Entertainment
This BBC made-for-TV two-parter is a wonderful adaptation of the novel by the same name. In typical BBC fashion, the Victorian era sets and costumes are authentic, the camera work is artful, and the acting is superb. Perhaps most importantly, the recreation is very faithful to the book. The author of the novel, Sarah Waters, has an amazing talent for storytelling, suspense, and rich characterizations. There are several revelations and twists in the plot that will really surprise you if you haven't read the book first.

The casting and acting are mostly excellent, including the Oscar-nominated actress Imelda Staunton. I look forward to seeing more films by the two leading ladies, Sally Hawkins and Elaine Cassidy, both of whom were believable and touching.

My only complaint is the casting of Rupert Evans as Gentleman. Having read the book, I pictured Gentleman a good ten years older than Evans. Evans does not express the authority, complexity and ambivalence inherent in Gentleman's personality; his Gentleman is a youthful, one-dimensional villain. Fortunately, the other performances and the production as a whole are strong enough that this failing did not detract from my overall appreciation of a very well-made, engrossing and heartfelt drama.