Writer: Guy Andrews
Director: Dan Zeff
Cast: Jemima Rooper (Amanda Price), Elliot Cowan (Mr. Darcy), Alex Kingston (Mrs. Bennet), Hugh Bonneville (Mr. Bennet), Morven Christie (Jane Bennet), Tom Riley (Wickham), Perdita Weeks (Lydia Bennet), Christina Cole (Caroline Bingley), Lindsay Duncan (Lady Catherine de Bourgh), Guy Henry (Mr. Collins), Michelle Duncan (Charlotte Lucas) & Tom Mison (Mr. Bingley)
Director: Dan Zeff
Cast: Jemima Rooper (Amanda Price), Elliot Cowan (Mr. Darcy), Alex Kingston (Mrs. Bennet), Hugh Bonneville (Mr. Bennet), Morven Christie (Jane Bennet), Tom Riley (Wickham), Perdita Weeks (Lydia Bennet), Christina Cole (Caroline Bingley), Lindsay Duncan (Lady Catherine de Bourgh), Guy Henry (Mr. Collins), Michelle Duncan (Charlotte Lucas) & Tom Mison (Mr. Bingley)
The sparkle of the concept has dulled, but Lost In Austen's third part manages to retain interest thanks to a stronger performance from Elliot Cowan as Mr. Darcy and keener development of the overarching plot and fractious relationships, particularly in the second half.Amanda (Jemima Rooper) is still trapped in Austen-land, although Mrs. Bennett's (Alex Kingston) hospitality is drawing to an end -- and Amanda can't break through the upstairs doorway leading back to reality. Meanwhile, Jane (Morven Christie) is stuck in a loveless marriage with creepy Mr. Collins (Guy Henry), whose sexual abstinence is about to end; Mr. Bingley (Tom Mison) is becoming a maudlin drunkard having allowed sweetheart Jane to slip through his fingers; and Mr. Darcy begins to realize how much Amanda fascinates, excites and obsesses him. Should Amanda admit her own feelings and alter the "Pride & Prejudice" plot so Elizabeth and Darcy will never fall in love?
Lost In Austen is a comfortable watch, even as the ad breaks slip by as half-hearted beats. There's a beguiling, dreamy sensibility that works very well, although I sometimes wish I was better acquainted with "Pride & Prejudice", as the specifics of everyone's social standing and connections sometimes passes me by. For example, I'm still rather puzzled by the Wickham (Tom Riley) as a character, and that's not helped by the fact our heroine's a self-proclaimed Austen fanatic -- so rarely pauses to explain matters. It might have been nice to be led through the story by someone with only a working knowledge of the book. Mind you, I suppose the target audience are au fait with the Bennett brood, so I'm probably in the minority.
Jemima Rooper doesn't quite have the acting strength to shoulder the whole enterprise, but she's still very engaging. Her face is particularly well-suited to the character; both old-fashioned in repose and modern when animated. It's often just a joy to watch her flip from slack-jawed shock to infectious grin. I particularly liked her accidental cry of "bumface" at a posh dinner, forcing her to pretend it's the name of a new card game! Sadly, Amanda's voice-overs remain unnecessary and distracting -- giving the script an amateurish quality.
As mentioned, Elliot Cowan really comes into his own here -- making me wonder why his take on Mr. Darcy wasn't allowed to buzz into life much earlier. I found him very charming and brooding, and it was easier to understand why he's so revered as a romantic fantasy for singletons since the 1800s. It was also a masterstroke to have Amanda insist this version of Mr. Darcy recreate Colin Firth's soggy emergence from a pond in the BBC adaptation. Playful, post-modern fun.
That about sums up Lost In Austen, really. It's not quite as surprising as it could have been, and has chosen to ignore some interesting avenues (anyone else have their fingers crossed we'll see Elizabeth in modern-day London?), but a combination of sparkling dialogue and agreeable performances keeps you engaged in the story -- even as the initial excitement of the concept fades.
Overall, this instalment took awhile to get going, but significant developments between Amanda and Darcy, amusing tweaks to the established characters (dastardly Wickham's actually a decent chap), and a lovely villainous turn from Christina Cole as Caroline, steered things back on-track. Now that the have bedded in, this episode had a lot of fun pushing them into fascinating new directions.
I'm actually excited to see how Guy Andrews pulls everything together, too. Will Amanda live happily ever after with Mr. Darcy? Will Lizzie return to reclaim her life, now armed with words like "minger"? Is this all a dream, with Amanda still curled up on her sofa? Will Jane Austen herself appear, revealed as some kind of inter-dimensional Goddess?
17 September 2008
ITV1, 9pm
