BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

NekoHomey Purely Joyful Movie!

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Charlene The Duchess of Duke Street purports to be a biographical mini-series about Louisa Trotter, the Cockney proprietor of a swank hotel in St. James, London. It's a fair little mini-series but it suffers from a common 1970s malady - manipulation of historical fact to make it more sympathetic to the modern viewer.In this case the manipulation is so vast and so all-encompassing that the narrative has become wholly unrealistic. Worse, this seems to have been done mainly to sell the show to Americans, because every change seems to be designed to make the main character more sympathetic to the average American. Some examples: the real Louisa, Rosa Lewis, was a beautiful middle-class country girl who looked forward to a good job in service at age 12 like every other girl she knew, but in this series Louisa is Cockney, poor, and forced to work in degrading service because of her evil mom. In real life, Rosa was propositioned by a drunken European nobleman but was saved in time by her caring employer, an illustrious countess; here, Louisa's propositioned by a stuck-up English nobleman and she's almost fired by her callous employer, a stuck-up viscountess. (The nobleman also falls in love with her specifically because she says no - and her love turns him into an America-friendly egalitarian - but that's another entire level of unreality.) In real life, Rosa succeeded because of her talent but also because of her connections with the rich and powerful: Louisa works herself almost to death. And in real life Rosa was a woman of her time, class-conscious, unthinkingly racist, and deeply distrustful of what she considered "loose women" (ie. any woman who had sex outside marriage): but Louisa treats everyone the same, whether King or cockney, as long as they treat her fairly, and winks at "true love". Every bit of it, every aspect, is designed to make Louisa and by extension the series more appealing to 1970s American viewers.That said: the series is brilliantly acted (Gemma Jones almost saves this single-handedly, but all the actors are first-rate), the writing is natural and the dialogue unforced, and many of the back stories are taken from real life (Fred the dog, the "conscie" footman, Merriman) and are really legitimately funny. All of that works, and it's enough to make this worth watching, at least once. But much of the comedy of Rosa Lewis's life as shown in the source text (Daphne Fielding's "The Duchess of Jermyn Street") is lost in the rush to make Louisa America-friendly. It could have been so much better.

Darnshank I fell in love with Lord Hazelton. I loved the series, especially those special moments with Charlie and Louisa. I only wished that there had been more interaction between Louisa and Charlie. I just rented the whole series from the library and I think it has to be as good now as it was when it was first shown. Without hitting you over the head with the results of war, the series reminded us of how almost a whole generation was lost to England. Each story also had some of the changes that were caused by the war, especially the changes of those individuals in service. The reason the stories were so good, the plot would change from humor to sadness and keep you the viewer slightly of balance I loved Delightful Mary,and the blustery old Major they were my favorites next to Charlie. I liked it as well as Upstairs, Downstairs. I cared more for these characters. Thank you Masterpiece theater for this wonderful production.I wish we had more of this genre in the future.

overseer-3 If you loved the BBC mini-series "Upstairs, Downstairs", you will adore "The Duchess Of Duke Street". Produced by some of the same people, with many of the same actors popping up in character roles, it almost feels like a re-visiting of the Bellamy household to some extent. It's the same Victorian-Edwardian time period, similar examinations of the class differences between servants and masters, same colorful, plucky people going through life discussing politics, war, scandals, etc. Gemma Jones as Louisa Trotter is utterly fantastic in her role, showing multi-layers of this Cockney girl's character that are absolutely fascinating to watch. Gemma had the role of a lifetime in Louisa, and she is simply unforgettable. Christopher Cazenove is so handsome as Charlie Hazelmere he just about takes your breath away. He brightens up every scene he is in with his presence, adorable smile and flashing eyes. Joanna David is touching as the tragic and anorexic Margaret. All the secondary characters will touch your heart and leave a lasting impression: Mary, Starr, The Major, and the hysterically funny Mr. Merriman (same actor who played Soames' father in the original "The Forsyte Saga"). This series is definitely worth the money to obtain all 31 episodes in the currently offered two VHS boxed sets. Just wish it were on DVD. After I purchased mine I watched the entire series straight through on one weekend; it was completely addictive. The video prints for Duchess are of much better quality than the ones for Upstairs, Downstairs, which were grainy and off-colored for the most part. Plus another positive: each tape has three episodes blended into one, without being interrupted by end titles and music. This allows for smooth transitions and a more enjoyable viewing experience, almost like watching a movie. Duchess Of Duke Street is a must-have series for all people who love quality British television.2006 Update: there are now DVDs for this series, Series One. Hooray! We're anxiously awaiting a DVD box collection here in the US for Series Two.

west-1 There is still great pleasure to be had from this series. Set in the earlier 1900s in London, it is the story of a young woman who begins as a kitchen hand and, through talent and determination, becomes a great chef and hotelier, (though she refuses to lose her cockney speech).Louisa Trotter, played by the truly WONDERFUL Gemma Jones, must be one of the most memorable characters in television history. A creature of so many moods - haranguing her staff in the kitchen, deliriously in love, vulgar when she's angry, prickly with her mother, sentimental about her affair with the old King - it's hard to know whether to laugh at her, or cry. But there is one constant about her - her artistry in her profession, and that is always awe-inspiring.During a long series, relationships between characters can acquire great reality. Louisa's covert affection for her staff, her enduring love for Charlie (Christopher Cazenove), and her deep friendship with the Major (Richard Vernon) - mainly because of the exquisite playing of the cast - have an extraordinary conviction.