Mary Bryant

Mary (Romola Garai) is starving and steals food from a lady on a picnic. She is transported to the penal colony of Botany Bay in Australia along with other petty criminals like Will Bryant (Alex O'Loughlin). Idealistic Lt Ralph Clarke (Jack Davenport) takes pity on Mary and takes care of her. She lets out that she's pregnant from another jailer and he's taken aback by rumors of possible moral impropriety. At the colony, Will becomes the only fisherman and marries Mary. Together they start a family. However the colony is hit with riot, rapes, drought and starvation. Mary seduces Ralph in a plan to steal the only sea-worthy boat and supplies as the group of outlaws escape the colony under Gov. Phillip (Sam Neill)'s harsh rule.

Mary Bryant is a wonderful character daringly performed by Romola Garai. I'm conflicted about the story. It's not correct historically and I don't think it works dramatically. It would flow better to fictionalize the story even more. The first part is amazing. The last half of the second part struggles with various turns and slower parts. It's a great character in a historical drama.

This was an excellent and entertaining movie, with convincing costumes and settings. The depiction of the horror of the sea voyages, the appalling nature of life in the convict settlement (scarcely better for the overseeing officials then for the convicts) and the relative luxury and colour of life in the Dutch colony of Timor were all powerfully vivid and evoked a strong sense of place and time. However, too perfect teeth are a recurring difficulty in period movies! The casting of the main characters was first rate, with Romola Garai as Mary shedding the fragility and innocence we saw in 'I Capture the Castle', and displaying considerable depth and emotional strength. Jack Davenport's outstanding performance as one of the marine officers was characterised by moral ambivalence and confusion in someone half a world away from his cultural certainties. Alex O'Loughlin as Will Bryant was a very effective counterweight to Davenport, giving a compelling account of a convicted Cornish smuggler and fisherman struggling within his own clear if unconventional moral framework. This fine team were supported by equally strong performances from the rest of the cast. Authenticity of detail of costume and setting was not however matched by authenticity of narrative – the script takes liberties with events, relationships and the fates of some characters. Although much is not known about Mary's life, some known facts were abused! However the main thrust of Mary's story retains its integrity and the movie provides a welcome testament to an otherwise neglected extraordinary figure from English – and Australian - history.

I only had a chance to watch this programme today, however I thought it was absolutely fantastic. The voyage of a young woman to Australia as a convict was amazing. Not only was this film based on facts and true stories but it also showed compassion. You got the chance to look in on Mary's feelings. I felt so sorry for Mary, she was convicted for stealing money, but knowing her social class, you could understand that she was trying to provide for her family, even if it was the wrong way to go about it.

Romola Garai played Mary very well. You could see all sides of Mary's personality, her compassion and love for her two children and husband, but also her more cunning side, using Lt Ralph Clarke on two occasions, the first being to avoid the conditions on the boat. The second time she used him was worse, she lead him on to believe that she had feelings for him (and as you would have already found out) and he has feelings for her. Both Jack Davenport (Lt Ralph Clarke) and Alex O'Loughlin (Will Bryant) performed their roles very well. Jack Davenport shows the audience how sensitive he is towards Mary and how easily he can fold for her, yet as a Lt he can be a hard/tough person.

I would highly recommend watching this i thought it was brilliant

Before I start I would like to say Australia has THE BEST MINI SERIES, for example some great Aussie mini series are: Blue Murder, The Day of the Roses, Jessica and this Mary Bryant to name a few while the Americans had crappy ones like the 4400 and Battlestar Gallactica which I was looking forward to but was disappointing. I think the secret to Aussie mini series success is because some are based on true stories and are interesting to learn some true events, they are realistic, you can relate to the characters, the locations show how beautiful Australia is and in these mini series there is a chance that the viewers of these shows have been to the location where it happen and know the area like in The Day of the Roses Granville.

Mary Bryant (based on a true story) shows the life of Mary Broad a young seventeen year old pregnant girl who is on the first fleet sent to Australia for stealing food for her starving family, on the journey over she meets and befriends a man by the name of Wil Bryant who she later marries when they reach land. Sick of their life at the colony they plan to escape with five others and Mary's children to Timor. This is a great story that has a great Australian and international cast who play their roles perfectly. This is another great Aussie mini series that should not be missed just like the other Aussie mini series highly recommended!

I think its a pretty darn good TV movie hey.... although as always the aboriginal roles are relegated to absolute nothing which I wish I wish I wish COULD BE CHANGED!

But anyways...its about Mary's story..and its pretty realistic about the anarchy, the dirt the grime, the sexually charged atmosphere of depravity..as the Aboriginal elders and young uns watched this cesspool of white convicts raping and killing each other...who were the savages again? It questions many things about Australia as a penal colony journeying with this character of Mary.

But the film really depicts as many sides to the story as possible and with Jack Davenport playing against his type in the Brit- hit series "Coupling", mix that with a real ball-cruncher of Romola Grai and you've got something thats definitely meant to liven up the dreary boring Sunday night TV. Plus the "soft porny" stuff pretty spiff as well!