Sunday 7 February 2016

Review: Far from the Madding Crowd (2015)

I made plans with my Aunt and Cousins to have a Saturday night in with Chinese food, wine and a movie, good plan right?!  Wrong!! 45 minutes, FORTY FIVE MINUTES it took us to decide on a genre of movie plus a further TWENTY FIVE minutes to decide which movie in that genre to watch (there was only 2 options!).  So there we have it, 1 hour and 10 minutes of my life that I am not getting back…..ever!  Finally landed on period drama and then Far from the Madding Crowd which I had been meaning to watch so I wasn’t all bad…



Adapted from the Thomas Hardy novel, Far from the Madding Crowd centres around Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) and three men who all profess their love for her. Gabriel (Matthias Schoenaerts) her neighbour as a young woman and key member of staff in her farming business, Sergeant Francis Troy (Tom Sturridge) a somewhat controlling service man and William Boldwood (Michael Sheen) her older neighbour with an infatuation.  Over the years, their live become intertwined and ever more complicated.



My family had all read this book either at school or college, however I didn't, so I didn’t have any idea of the story.  I think that meant I enjoyed it for what it was rather than comparing to the book at every twist and turn.  Carey Mulligan was brilliant as the strong independent woman who doesn’t need help from any man in life or in business, as is Michael Sheen as the nervous, quiet but determined Boldwood.  I felt like Tom Sturridge’s character what supposed to have this power and control over Bathsheba but he just didn’t quite sell it for me.

The true winner in this though is the British countryside, I can sometimes forget what a beautiful country we live in and this really showcased the amazing sights to be had on our own doorstep.  If you aren’t from the UK, this will make you want to visit and if you are it will make you want to drive out and see the beautiful landscapes for yourself.



Stunning visuals and as someone who has never read the book, quite an interesting story with some surprising twists and turns.




3 comments:

  1. This was a really nice surprise to me. Love Mulligan and was very impressed with Schoenaerts. I'm with you on Sturridge. I didn't quite buy into him either.

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  2. I found this movie to be frustratingly stupid. I just couldn't relate to Mulligan's character at all. The acting was good, and the scenery was breathtaking. I'll give it that. I'm glad it worked better for you.

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  3. I think the other true winner was Matthias Schoenaerts, he's such a great guy! This aside, I really loved the film, more that the 60s adaptation.

    And whoa. 1 hour and 10 mins is half a movie. Then again, I take a long time to pick something even if I'm by myself!

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