Jamaica Inn

A very good adaptation, and it's good to see a British period film that doesn't romanticize the characters and setting (well, not TOO much!). "Smugglers" have been so often romanticized in books and films, that it was good to see a film that showed just how crude, violent and evil they probably were.

Orphaned young woman Mary has to move in with her aunt and uncle after the death of her parents, she arrives at Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor, and quickly discovers dark goings on at Jamaica Inn.

In many respects this is a pretty decent adaptation, I've only just completed the book, and wanted to watch this, before the film. It's a fairly faithful adaptation, the tone (bleak) of the book is very much captured, and Jamaica Inn itself feels right.

It starts off pretty well, the second episode is good, the third and final episode is fantastic, the best of the lot.

The visuals are striking, it looks wonderful, scenes on The Moor, on the coast and inside Jamaica Inn, the costumes are spot on.

Very good acting for the main part, Jessica Brown Findlay, Matthew McNulty, Joanne Whalley and Ben Daniels were all spot on.

I absolutely adore Sean Harris, I'd go so far as to say he's a favourite of mine, but there are times where every word he says, is almost inaudible, is it my hearing, or was he mumbling? I want to say he was amazing here, and you can't deny he had a powerful presence as Joss, I just needed the subtitles on.

The lighting, sadly is also an issue, most of the interior shots are hard to make out, it's a pity a few extra light bulbs weren't plugged in.

Better than I remembered it being.

8/10.

This is a TV miniseries based on a Daphne du Maurier novel, adapted by Emma Frost, brought to life by the superb direction of Philippa Lowthorpe. Great cast (Joanne Whaley, Matthew McNulty, Sean Harris, Ben Daniels, Shirley Henderson) lead by Jessica Brown Findlay (a favourite of mine), none of whom missed a beat in fleshing out their characters. Wonderful themes of finding yourself, your own strength, and making complex choices. There is also an interesting study of the complexities of being both an abuser and a victim. This is not your historic pastoral piece but has dark themes and moods. The cinematography is breathtaking capturing the landscape that is another character in this film. The costuming is gritty and dingy so befitting the mood of the piece. I thoroughly enjoyed this series , although I feel the last episode was the weakest, yet I still give it an 8 (great) out of 10. {Period Drama}

OK so first things first the sound is a bit dodgy, but persevere because the screen crackles with tension. The writing is good and the filming style doesn't disappoint. It's suitably dark, and no one, not even out our heroine Mary Yellen, looks pretty in that vapid way that some costume dramas enjoy. She's a bit grubby, but still attractive, so she seems more realistic, because she isn't portrayed like Anne of Green Shipwrecks. The locations are treated like another character in the story. The acting is exciting, with huge amounts of magnetism. Each character has an interesting back story that is sometimes hinted at, sometimes explained. The thing I noticed first is that everyone is dirty, their hands, their hair, their clothes, and of they would be. Smuggling is a dirty business, this production lets you see just how dangerous and desperate it is.

I greatly enjoyed this adaption of Jamaica Inn.

It was dark and grubby, just like the monstrous crime at the heart of this tale.

For me the key to Jamaica Inn is the portrayal of the extremely compromised characters. The production excelled at this.

The only character who is not compromised is the evil fiend at the centre of it all of course. That person has abandoned morals and has found a form of liberation.

The most compromised of all, Joss Merlyn was played by Sean Harris superbly. He is ensnared in something extremely nasty indeed. His attempt to drag the heroin into the evil cesspool he inhabits was really a first class piece of drama.

Thank goodness today we have Formica worktops, dettol, vinyl floors and suchlike. We still have monstrous criminals but at least we have nice clean living environments for them.