Frenchman's Creek

If you liked Daphne du Maurier's original novel, avoid this like the plague. Large elements of the plot (including the period setting) have been changed. I was incredibly disappointed with the result - it seemed to alter the whole mood of the novel.

I had really hoped to like this film, but I just could not. It is one of those films trying to make a "dark and gritty" version of a story, but only succeed in omitting all that made the story good in the first place. At a quarter of the running time, I was already in despair. At half, I found that I could not force myself to endure any more of this crap. I never finished, and I don't think anything could induce me to waste my time with the second half.

There were a few things I liked :

* Harry, who was portrayed rather accurately. * Rockingham, same. It surprised me. I thought that if they would botch a character it would be him. After all, how can you compare to any of Basil Rathbone's villains ? Well, you just can't. (I know, I am very biased towards Basil Rathbone ^^). But you can come very close, and I liked this one well enough.

Otherwise, the negatives :

* All the political and religious stuff, which distract from the main story without improving it. * The Frenchman : I found him awful. Really awful. He's not an artist doodling birds anymore, except one in a book which looks terrible. He's not witty, he's not charming, he's just annoying and full of himself. I couldn't feel anything between him and Dona. I didn't watch the second half so it might chang later, but I doubt it. None of the interactions between him and Dona are memorable or witty, but just two unlikable people snapping at each other. * Dona : As another reviewer wrote, she feels more like a street tart than a lady. She too lost all the wit she had in the book, and is frequently rude and mean-spirited instead. The prime example being how she deals with unwanted attentions or people who annoy her : "If you come near Navron I'll set the dogs after you !". And basically every conversation she has with... mostly everyone. And although she talks about her children, it didn't feel as though she was very fond of them. * Henrietta : Oh dear, she was just terrible. In the book and 1944 version, she is too young to have much personality, and it's fine, because it is not her story. In this film, she just felt like she was written in order to make a point about religion making people worse. * William : Another character drained of charm and wit for this movie.

I own the book. Reading it after seeing this movie is going to make it that much more enjoyable. Ms. Fitzgerald was captivating, and Mr. Delon is the pirate any woman would love. This was the first time I'd seen any of these actors. I also thought Tim Dutton and Danny Webb II were great. Many times what you find in European actors is the best kind of acting, subtle changes in expression, something Americans could work on. This movie stands out as one of my all time favorites. I recommend this to anyone who loves romance/adventure!

Having read the book many years ago, my memory of the story wasn't at it's best when I started to watch this adaption. Still, I found it hard to feel much empathy for the heroine, Lady Dona, her behaviour being totally selfish. No wonder her daughter was willing to betray her mother's French lover and his cohorts. After all the woman did rip the highly religious little girl's crucifix from around her neck and toss it out the carriage window! Also her husband may be not as exciting as her French lover, but he obvious adores her and has more balls than she gives him credit for.

I was disappointed with the feeling this production gave me in general. Being a English history buff, I must admit my political support was with Dutch King William of Orange and Queen Mary (King James' eldest daughter and heir) and his Protestant supporters, as Catholic James II was a pig-headed, stubborn man, unlike his brother Charles II, and didn't know when to keep his religious beliefs to himself in such religiously turbulent times. Maybe those unaware of politics of that time will enjoy it more. Don't if you are aware of the consequences of James II's foolishness. One should also be aware that the people of Cornwall and Devon bore a grudge against James II because he slaughtered many of their men who rose in support of Charles II illegitimate son, the Duke of Monmouth, who tried to claim the throne from his uncle in an uprising. Watch the 2000 BBC adaption Lorna Doone, which takes place at the same time. A much better production.

Slickly done costumer with lavish production. Played very straightforward. Tara Fitzgerald plays an English Catholic mother of two young children who flees London during the Protestant / Catholic fighting to return to her ancestral home on the coast of England. She meets a French pirate hiding on her land and re-evaluates her life. Just sit back and enjoy the action or the romance.