An average movie

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Stephen Frears’ work, I thought I should give it a try anyway. Apparently, it is an adaptation of a graphic novel which was also a loose adaptation of a book written by Thomas Hardy , ‘Far from the madding crowd’. To be honest, I already didn’t enjoy much the movie also adapted from this book directed by John Schlesinger and starring Julie Christie so I wasn’t really optimistic. Eventually, I was in fact pleasantly surprised by the beginning. Indeed, it was really funny, I really enjoyed all those wacky characters and I thought it could lead to something better than I thought. Unfortunately,  the main character turned out to be terribly dull. All right, she had a pretty face and looked really hot but the only reason any of the characters (especially the male ones) gave her any attention was only because of her looks, not her wits. They also tried to convince us that she was also very smart and clever but I was never convinced. Furthermore, I thought it utterly unbelievable that she would end up having an affair with Nicholas Hardiment. I mean, the guy was a womanizer, that’s for sure, but he usually got some dimwitted women. If they picked up a really charming actor, maybe I could have bought it but not how they portrayed the character. The fact that Hardiment gets obsessed with her really fit the character and Roger Allam did a very good job as well but it was really unconvincing how he managed to have her. Basically, he comes to her doorstep, she let him in and they have sex! With no real shred of explanation. So, the whole thing was rather half-baked but it remained watchable thanks to the solid directing and the very good supporting characters. I really wonder how is the comic book now. Anyway, in spite of its flaws, it remains a decent British comedy and I think it is worth a look, especially if you like the genre.

6/10