Cranford (2007) (DVD)

Let me make something perfectly clear, OK? I'm a guy. Like most guys, my favorite kind of movie has plenty of action, with fights, car chases, explosions, hot babes, and violence, with a little blood or gore sprinkled in. So why did I give this one five stars? Let me try to explain.Going in, your typical red-blooded American male might be put off a bit; judging by it's cover, Cranford appears to be just another in a long line of boring English bonnet romances, full of people in wigs and weird clothes sitting around in parlours talking to each other. If you're looking for a testosterone-fueled trip through hell, a la Tarantino, Peckinpah or Woo, you might be disappointed. I waited and waited, but I could find not one fist fight, stabbing, shooting, rape, steamy sex scene, unexposed nipple or horrible murder in the whole dang thing!But gents, don't automatically dismiss this one: if you look, you will find a surprising amount of death, gore and violence: in one scene, a kid smashes in the skull of a defenseless rabbit. In another, a cat pukes up some hand-knit lace. And then a cow falls into a lime pit and gets all it's hide burned off. So I guess you could say that animals have a tough time in this miniseries.But the people have some rough patches as well. In the first twenty minutes the young carpenter Jem falls from a ladder and suffers a compound fracture of his right forearm, which is pretty gruesome. You wouldn't think that there would be many deaths in this one either, but it seems like people are keeling over every other minute. A very young kid dies of croup, a crippled young woman dies of who knows what, one of the main characters, Deborah Jenkyns (Eileen Atkins), strokes out, and the great Michael Gambon's character, the lovelorn Mr. Holbrook, contracts pneumonia and bites it before he has a chance to marry his long lost love, Mattie Jenkyns ((there is nothin' like a DAME) Judy Dench). The local shopkeeper Mr. Johnson is clubbed on the back of his head and robbed. A family of squatters is forced to live in abject squalor while the father must poach game to keep his family from starvation.There is a top-notch "babe" in the series too. Kimberly Nixon plays the young daughter of the local parson. She is a "pretty as a picture" actress, first-rate eye candy, a perfect rosy-cheeked beauty seemingly born for this type of film, who will have a long and very bright future in the many inevitable English period romances to be produced over the next ten years. I hoped and prayed for a scene of her swimming naked in a sylvan lake or even a brief glimpse of her in the boudoir, but alas it never happened. I guess you will have to use your imagination.Another huge negative: it appeared there were no "pavement princesses" or brothels in the town of Cranford. Or they chose not to show us. Damn!Nor were there coach chases, bloody shootouts, pub brawls, adulterers, adulteresses or dispicable villains in Cranford.However, you do get a lot of humor, color, poignancy, romance, emotion, beauty, magnificent costumes, fabulous photography, and wonderful character development and acting. With all that, I guess I can overlook the absence of fist fights and sex. I hate to admit that; it's not very manly of me, but it's true. Cranford did not suck.

For those who have not tried watching British miniseries, books turned to movies or BBC television; this is the place to start. Cranford is not to long (not long enough, also) being just 5 hour-long episodes. It is a comedy/drama that will delight any new fan. It is an ice cream sundae for those already loving the British Victorian stories. Beautiful costumes and sets. Plus an insane Victorian milk cow (I'll not "spoil" this portion with an explanation).Cranford has it all. The cast is headed by Judi Dench, being a guarantee of enjoyment for any movie. She is the star in every episode with her superb acting of the character Miss Matty. Like the other ladies of this small British Village, she specializes in knowing the right thing to do and say in every social engagement. It is a laugh-out-loud experience to watch the town's old spinsters interact--especially when the new young doctor arrives in town. It seems young and old alike decide he is their chance for love and living. What a hilarious set of events caused by a prank by the young doctor's friend. If it's not marrying hopefuls wagging their tongues then it's the anti-railroad ladies trying to preserve the perfectness of the small community. You will side with those against the new railroad intrusion.The ladies will have you laughing one moment and then genuinely moved by their situation the next. What an amazing story, the book written by Elizabeth Gaskill. The British accents are delightful but for those unaccustomed to the dialects, the DVD offers subtitles in English, often a help, yet not distracting when not needed as they are place outside the widescreen box.The young boy Harry Gregson is played by Alex Etel and is a young, poor chap you will fall in love with. You will want to contribute yourself to his livelihood, this thirst for education, and his dedication to assist his family in survival. The list of fine acting is endless, as the entire cast seems destined for an award for their work.Yes, Cranford is the DVD to buy to get a taste of British drama/comedy. Be prepared: it is addictive and this particular DVD set is right up at the top. The story is so small-village comfortable and ends so feel-good delightfully that we should all be so lucky as to live in Cranford. Next best idea: replay the story beginning with disc one.

This is a masterpiece of historical dramatization. While faithful to the novel, it translates the action and emotion into a format for modern viewers. My family has watched this several times with increasing delight at the subtle personalities, the social issues that are evoked, and the lives as they go forward. The great accomplishment of the series is that, while often funny to the point of absurdity, it never falls into the territory of sitcom or burlesque. Instead, it retains both its realism and social relevancy in the most exquisite of dramas. The milieu, while superficially familiar, is in fact quite alien. Isolated, it is in the thick of victorian era, which can only be described as extremely rarified, full of rules, customs, and traditions that shape decisions that are astonishingly personal, cause mortal worries about the most banal concerns, and lead to intricate misunderstandings. It is always believable and emotionally accurate, never parody.The cast of characters appears normal, at least for their time. There is Matty, whose elder sister Deborah is the arbiter of "the proper" in town. They look out the windows, judging people they see in the street and discussing what course of action would be best. They take in a niece, who becomes an intimate part of their household because she wishes to aviod a hasty (or perhaps any) marriage. A young doctor also comes to town, brimming with ideals and ready to work. Finally, the gameskeeper for a local aristocrat takes on the welfare of a wonderful child, whose family is part gypsy and dirt poor. As these characters interact and adapt to the changing world, more and more is revealed, to the point that their cares and hopes become beautifully, painfully poignant.For example, as the young doctor establishes himself as innovative and competent, he is noticed as the most eligible bachelor in a town of gossipy spinsters. Though he is in love with a local beauty, two older women become convinced he is about to propose to them, in part because of his own kindness but also by a bad practical joke. When the situation is discovered, he is nearly ruined by the many assumptions people make about his motives. Another episode involves the sad resolution of an old love: the beau reappears, after perhaps 40 years, to the woman who refused him because her family needed her due to a personal tragedy. They loved each other the whole time. It brought tears to my eyes.The overwhelming impression, at the end, is one of grace. You come to admire these people, hope for them, and even question your own behavior. Indeed, according to my wife, a principal purpose of the novels is to pose social dilemmas to the reader. Very powerful stuff. Also, unlike the all's-well-that-ends-well stuff that makes many Dickens' endings so sickeningly unbelievable, these novels often end in pain and loss, though the decent society of the town makes up for a lot of it. There are no deus ex machina solutions.Warmly recommended. This will become a staple in our family's entertainment.

Set in the Victorian era, "Cranford" is a truly delightful series in episodic form made by BBC, modelled on three books by author Elizabeth Gaskell. British actors and actresses bring it to life, led by Dame Judi Dench, Dame Eileen Atkins, Michael Gambon and Greg Wise. Sisters Deborah and Matilda Jenkyns must entertain a guest, Miss Mary Smith, and Mary sees with help and through her own eyes the beauty of Cranford. Frank Harrison, a graduate from medical school comes to town, and soon finds himself the subject of every woman's interest while becoming every inch a doctor, though not trusted by his second cousin Dr. Morgan. In the meantime, Lady Ludlow must maintain her household, out of her own will and for her son, and all the while a railway becomes the ultimate enemy of the townspeople save one who believes it will better the lives of all concerned. A distinguished costume drama, it is packed full of romance, witty humour, drive, the rich and the poor, self discovery and customary traditions that makes Cranford an exciting place to live.

Quite simply,one of the the best costume dramas that the BBC have done,in my opinion. I was completely hooked right from the start,laughing aloud at some moments yet crying the next; be warned, episode 2 is particularly moving.The acting is first class and the attention to detail regarding costume and sets is faultless.As I haven't read any of Elizabeth Gaskell's books, I don't know to what extent the storylines have been altered; Cranford is basically three books condensed into the one series.Having watched it though, I'm tempted to now read her work. Although the series is set between 1823-24, it's surprising how relevant it is in 2009.The main theme is one of change and the way in which we deal with it and with life in general. They complain about the price of tallow candles and we complain about energy prices! If you have enjoyed any of the other period dramas that the BBC have done in the past, then you will no doubt enjoy this one also.

Cranford is another superb adaptation from the BBC. Overall picture and audio quality on the blu-ray discs is good, though at times blurring can be noticed when the camera pans around and sudden differences in contrast are noticeable. (This can also be noticed on the DVD version).Unfortunately I have to say that the navigation menus on the blu-ray discs are the worst I have come across. Each menu screen has a voiceover informing what menu you are on and what the options are (even though they are clearly on screen in big bold type). Most annoyingly when selecting an option within the menu you are also told what option you are on. This is surely disc navigation for dummies. While this information is being spoken there is no way to navigate through the menus which makes menu selection slow and irritating.Surely the disc authors could have provided a quick navigation option!

I bought this DVD at a reduced price, but I have to say, I would probably have paid more just to have it. The setting -- an old village by the name of Cranford -- strongly reminds one of Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice, and I've noticed that, although the BBC production is rather recent, they have kept the "modern" themes to a bare minimum. This makes the atmosphere simply priceless. I've watched the DVD a few times now, and I still find it captivating enough to forget that I am exercising on the stepper at the same time.A theme I found particulary interesting and which is completely absent from other books of this genre is the attitude towards education, both of young boys and of girls in general. As opposed to the aforementioned Jane Eyre and Pride and Prejudice, I found that Cranford describes a much larger range of people, from the very rich to the very poor (squatters, poachers).I'd recommend this series to anyone who is fond of rich human dramas and of the authentic atmosphere of 18th century England.