Cranford
(2007/BBC DVD Set)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C Episodes: B-
Usually,
the episodic, melodramatic, British “stuffy” TV productions are just that and
do not go anywhere much, but they occasionally are done well enough that they
become at least somewhat compelling viewing and Simon Curtis’ Cranford (2007) with a cast that
includes Judi Dench, Michael Gambon, Francesca Annis and Eileen Atkins is one
of the better of its kind in a while.
Now a
two-DVD set from BBC DVD, the secret as and gossip of an entire small town
start to catch up with it circa 1842 and throws polite society for a loop or
two. There is some comedy, but I was
surprised how smart this was, how dark it got, how consistently good it was and
how believable it was for a change. Yes,
there is melodrama, but the production is not co-dependent on that and as a
result, it is one of the best British TV productions of its kind in a
while. You would almost think this came
from the last Golden Age of such productions, but it is new and is recommended,
especially if you are interested and like this kind of storytelling. No wonder they got the cast they got!
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 is soft, but consistent, partly from being
styled and partly from the means in which it was shot. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has no
surrounds, but is a clean recording. A
Blu-ray to compare should be interesting.
The only extra is a making of featurette if all these hours are not
enough for you.
- Nicholas Sheffo
