Cranford: Return to Cranford

This is the second dvd to the original Cranford. It's just as good as the original. Highly recommend

I was able to watch this follow-up to  Cranford  thanks to a particular website and I promptly pre-ordered the DVD as I loved "Cranford" and its host of interesting and eccentric characters (and yes, I am a period drama fan, especially of BBC productions). This is actually a 2-part special that is not only inspired by the original Cranford, but also two other stories by author Elizabeth Gaskell, i.e. "The Moorland Cottage", and also "The Cage at Cranford", see  Three Tales of Cranford: Cranford, The Cage at Cranford, and The Moorland Cottage . Besides the familiar and beloved cast of the original Cranford such as Miss Matty (Dame Judi Dench), Miss Pole (Imelda Staunton), Mrs Forrester (Julia McKenzie), Miss Tomkinson (Deborah Findlay), etc. several new characters are introduced, such as Lady Glenmire (played by Celia Imrie), and the conjuror Signor Brunoni(Tim Curry).The first part is set in summer 1844 - it has been two years since dear Miss Matty (Dame Judi Dench in another luminous portrayal) lost her beloved sister Deborah, and a year since Sophy Hutton married Dr Harrison (these two characters are no longer in this show). Miss Matty seems content with the presence of her brother Peter (Nicholas Le Prevost) who is home from India, and helps look after Tilly, the baby of her maid Martha and carpenter Jem Hearne. The continuity from the original Cranford is seen in the railway project which still looms menacingly over the town. Things are also made more exciting with the arrival of Mr. Buxton, a wealthy widower who lives with his ward Erminia (Michelle Dockery) and his son William (Tom Hiddleston who is quite the eye candy). Life in Cranford is always full of surprises and when Lady Ludlow's long absent son Septimus (Rory Kinnear) arrives, things take unexpected turns, precipitated by a tragedy in the family. The old tensions are there - especially between those that are against the railroad project and those ,like Captain Brown and young William who feel that modernization is essential to Cranford's long-term survival. Miss Matty, in her usual subtle fashion, gets involved in some of these village proceedings, with some rather startling results.The second part is set later in the year 1844, October up till Christmas - Miss Matty and her friends are predictably excited at the visit of Lady Glenmire (Celia Imrie) but when Mrs Jamieson (Barbara Flynn) feels no one amongst her peers is of suitably high rank to meet her, she and Lady Glenmire get snubbed by Matty and company and it is left to Lady Glenmire to set things right in a most memorable way. Matty also faces some challenges that involves a falling out amongst her circle of friends,a serious romance between William and a young woman deemed unsuitable by his father (which has Matty pondering the wisdom of her 'involvement' in bringing the pair together), and more tragedy on the horizon, affecting the citizens of Cranford.The magic of the original is still evident and this follow-up (of sorts - it's not strictly a sequel though some story arcs from the first Cranford get developed here) is still charming and engrossing. A fair note of warning, this particular installment in the Cranford franchise is much more subdued than the original and there's quite a fair bit of tragedy - there's death (involving a couple of familiar characters who were also in the original), grief, tension, family drama, imperiled friendships, the age-old battle between those opposed to change and those who embrace the challenges of modernization,etc., but there's also romance, lighthearted moments and even a bit of magic!The comic and the tragic are seamlessly blended into the story, resulting in an immensely satisfying viewing experience. I loved it though I can understand how this particular follow-up might disappoint purists who loved the original and how well it adhered to Gaskell's novel. As for the production qualities - they are excellent. The cinematography is gorgeous, capturing the beauty of the village surroundings as well as the period details, and the score complements the story perfectly. I wish I could be so lucky as to live in a place like Cranford!

Finally a clean show the whole family can enjoy. I love the characters and the plot. More episodes please!!!!

We love this series. Now we can watch it whoever we want.

I enjoyed "Return to Cranford" very much, more so after the second viewing. During the first viewing I was a little distracted by thinking about "what happened to so and so?" Also, the two new families are introduced a bit too quickly and so I didn't fully get into their characters until the second time around. Like the first Cranford, this second installment has humor, sadness, the testing of friendships, the struggle between the old and the new and a sweet romance between two young people. At first it bothered me that Dr. Harrison wasn't around, but then I thought about it. How many period films continue a love story after the marriage? Also, a huge part of the story in the first Cranford was the misunderstanding of Dr. Harrison's affections, so once that was resolved and he and Sophie were married, his story was told. I really didn't see him being the heroic younger doctor again in Return to Cranford. That was done enough in the first installment and it wouldn't have been as compelling in the second one. In Return to Cranford, I absolutely loved the touching romance between William and Peggy. He was so handsome, kind and resolved, and she showed that she was wise and strong in spite of her social awkwardness. A few things keep me from giving this piece a 5 star review. Perhaps I'll understand it better after more viewings, but I couldn't figure out exactly what happened with Harry and the estate. Did he lose his inheritance? I thought this story line was confusing and lacking in resolution. Also, why was Mary gone in the beginning? I didn't fully understand where she was and I thought it was strange to bring her back just to have her leave again. Also, Mattie is almost financially destitute in the first Cranford, yet in this one, she has been able to save up a fairly large amount of money. Is this because her brother Peter has his own income and contributes to her support? I wasn't sure. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, feeling it to be overly sentimental. It seemed odd to me that characters who probably wouldn't even know how to dance (specifically Peggy and Harry) were dancing like old pros. In spite of these minor irritations, Return to Cranford is definitely a movie I will keep and watch several more times in the future.

If you enjoy movies in this era, this is a must see. But see Cranford first, then Return to Cranford.

I and my family really liked the first part of Crawford in spite of it's being so sad.We were pleased that it had very few bad words and few low dresses (just one or two where the neck line was a tad to low and one scene where the maid lay down inapropriatly) The second one was more interesting for us, fewer deaths of the people you liked, and even fewer bad words and kess inapropriat behavier.This part is a SPOILER for a small side part: we were disappointed however that they made Mary a bit of a feminism by braking off her engagement as an impediment for her becoming a great authoress. But since she is not in the movie much and by the time you find out her choice you already care more for Peggy it is not to big of a deal. Modesty wise there is one part that is a little uncomfortable because of the way a man looks at a girl when he is asking if he might wipe the crumbs off of her skirt and the way he does it is very slow but that is all. tjere was on sort glimps of an inmodest picture in the third episod and in one episode Mary's stepmother is wearing an inmodest dress.

I love historical dramas and great acting and this has both. Judi Dench is marvellous as always.

Loved Cranford, a great series

E' il seguito di Cranford, ed è tratto da una serie di racconti di Elisabeth Gaskell. Ritroviamo le protagoniste della prima serie, con in testa una formidabile Judi Dench. Bravi anche gli altri attori del cast, così come nella prima serie. Cambiano le situazioni e i personaggi, ma le protagoniste partecipano sempre attivamente ed emotivamente alle vicende più o meno drammatiche dei loro vicini, rendendosi sempre disponibili a trovare una soluzione alle situazioni che si trovano ad affrontare. Divertente ed emozionante come la prima serie, da non perdere. Il dvd è in lingua inglese con sottotitoli in inglese.

Esta segunda parte me ha encantado tanto como la primera y me hubiera gustado que fuera más larga.Las películas de este tipo de la BBC son siempre unas joyas para quien ama las obras de la literatura de la época victoriana del Reino Unido, como es mi caso.

Nachdem ich die erste Staffel "Cranford" gesehen habe und ich leicht fasziniert war, wollte ich unbedingt Wissen wie es mit den vielen Damen und teils kuriosen Geschichten im kleinen Dörfchen weiter geht. Ich hatte natürlich spezielle Erwartungen an diese Fortsetzung. Und ich muss sagen, dass ich nicht enttäuscht wurde.Aufbauend auf die erste Staffel sind viele Schauspieler bzw. Charaktere auch in "Die Rückkehr nach Cranford" wieder eingebunden. Natürlich werden auch Lebensgeschichten von den Einwohnern aufgenommen und weitererzählt. Ich möchte hier nicht ins Detail gehen, denn jeder der sich für die "Cranford" Staffeln interessiert, sollte sich selber ein Bild machen und sich in die schönen Episoden und Geschichten einsehen.Auch "Die Rückkehr nach Cranford" ist wieder eine wunderbare Geschichtsfahrt, zurück in das interessante England, Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts. Eine Zeit, in der technischer Fortschritt und Industrialisierung in schnellen Schritten angetrieben werden. Für tradionsbewusste Menschen und altbewährte Gewohnheiten ist so ein Umbruch nicht immer sehr leicht hinzunehmen. Gerade, wenn man in einem doch eher schon fortgeschrittenen Alter ist, wie so einige Damen bzw. Ladys in Cranford.Fazit: Eine sehr gefühlvolle und voller Wärme erzählende Verfilmung, die für mich mit der ersten Staffel gleichzusetzen ist.