Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Gwyneth Paltrow | ... | Maud Bailey | |
Aaron Eckhart | ... | Roland Michell | |
Jeremy Northam | ... | Randolph Henry Ash | |
Jennifer Ehle | ... | Christabel LaMotte | |
Lena Headey | ... | Blanche Glover | |
Holly Aird | ... | Ellen Ash | |
Toby Stephens | ... | Fergus Wolfe | |
Trevor Eve | ... | Cropper | |
Tom Hickey | ... | Blackadder | |
Georgia Mackenzie | ... | Paola | |
Tom Hollander | ... | Euan | |
Graham Crowden | ... | Sir George | |
Anna Massey | ... | Lady Bailey | |
Craig Crosbie | ... | Hildebrand | |
Christopher Good | ... | Crabb-Robinson |
Roland Michell is an American scholar trying to make it in the difficult world of British Academia. He has yet to break out from under his mentor's shadow until he finds a pair of love letters that once belonged to one of his idols, a famous Victorian poet. Michell, after some sleuthing, narrows down the suspects to a woman not his wife, another well known Victorian poet. Roland enlists the aid of a Dr. Maud Bailey, an expert on the life of the woman in question. Together they piece together the story of a forbidden love affair, and discover one of their own. They also find themselves in a battle to hold on to their discovery before it falls into the hands of their rival, Fergus Wolfe. Written by C.D.
I liked this film; and had no concerns whatsoever about watching it, despite the relatively low financial return, which I don't understand and also, the relatively mediocre percentage on Rotten Tomatoes, which I also don't comprehend - the latter of which I generally check before watching a movie, the former to see whether it's an indie or not.
I guess that this genre is not for everyone; to me it's a Jane Austen with added intrigue or a sophisticated Dan Brown with less intrigue.
There is lots of innuendo and suggestion, which unfortunately is generally bluntly explained shortly thereafter; it would possibly have been more interesting to keep it more mysterious and therefore make the viewer think longer than a few seconds.
I enjoyed it overall and would recommend it to those of a literary bent, it's not a popcorn flick.