The Moth

They don't make it like this anymore! Yes predictable storytelling maybe (as is most of Catherine Cookson's work), but performed and directed in the most heartwarming, passionate and beautiful ways. From the acting to the dialogues, this piece of drama truly feels like it captured a bygone era. Nothing fancy about the drama's cinematography, it's just pure rustic 90s perfection. Davenport was sublime in this, he was truly beautiful back then. He played a working class lad so well, much different to what he usually plays.

For the TV bods to reduce an entire Catherine Cookson novel to under 3 hours takes some doing. This one has a really good cast that fits together well. the "god fearing Church goer", who is as vile in private life as anyone, the equally vile "Thurman" (lives in a large house, never worked a day in his life) but can afford to strut around as though he owns millions. Enter then the young man with a skill in carpentry who works for both but ends up doing odd jobs at "the big house", saves the life of "the moth", her elder sister ultimately falls for him but given he owns nothing it cant go anywhere, can it? this really is well worth watching and unlike the TV of today, thankfully there is little swearing or blasphemy, theres no one of the LGBT brigade and a really interesting plot and storyline - catch this one, I dont think you will be disappointed

Being from Catherine Cookson land i am a bit biased to promote the television works of the great lady's novels...but this one surpassed any of the previous adaption i had seen.

The moth is a tale of love across the classes, featuring Robert Bradley(Jack Davenport), a working class carpenter working in the shipyards on the Tyne, (NOTE: The Shipyard used is no more than three miles from my house), Sarah Thorman(Juliet Aubrey), an upper class woman with a seemingly mad sister, who is in fact devastatingly vulnerable and a mere child in a woman's body.

The development of the separate stories which eventually culminate in Robert being accused of bedding his cousin and fathering her child, and Sarah's mother dieing, leaving her to cope with failing finances and keeping a household going under the constant glare of her father and then her brother.

When the two main characters finally end up in close contact with one another, there is a spark from the very beginning, but it is a spark Sarah tries hard to hide for the sake of her reputation and her sister, but eventually Robert making her see how badly the family home is failing brings her to her senses and makes her fall in love with him...

All in all...a beautiful piece...check it out.

Also Jack Davenport(a broad southerner) taking on a Geordie accent...hilarious.

******** (out of 10)

Back to the Future or Forward to the Past? Watching this oldie on the Drama channel in 2016, the main thing that struck me was how totally gorgeous and drop dead sexy Jack Davenport was in 1997! So I'm shallow, so what. A typical Catherine Cookson story of love triumphing over adversity, and a great way to pass a winter Sunday afternoon.

In this era of fast cutting and flashy cinematography that makes your head spin and eyes hurt, it is a delight to watch a tale with a beginning a middle and an end, characters who seem real if a little stereotyped (it's Catherine Cookson after all), and a plot full of heroes and villains which is pure escapism and doesn't require a PhD in Mumble-Deciphering or asking what the heck is going on. It isn't too challenging, giving us plenty of time to admire Jack's dreamily expressive eyes and ...other attractions. Made me forget my troubles for a couple of hours and that's worth ten stars for me.

For anyone interested in the true nature of men and women, this is an invaluable resource.

In the same way that GWTW can be watched to get a picture of true masculine energy in Captain Butler, the character of Robert Bradley in this movie shows how a dominant alpha male looks, acts, and sounds who is also capable of great tenderness and strength of character.

Sarah exemplifies strong, assertive, very feminine womanhood. I watched the movie several times over, wanting to be just like Robert and wanting to find a woman like Sarah.

All the supporting cast is excellent as well. Strong characterization; extremely plausible events and sets and props; I felt like I got into a time machine and traveled to 1913 England. The heroes and villains are entirely believable. This is in my top 10 favorite movies of all time now.

I stumbled across this movie and was shocked at how good it is. Being American, I had never even heard of Cookson. She is practically unknown in the USA, compared to her success in the UK.

I don't want to give anything away here; I will say that this movie is a perfect example of the John Sebastian lyric: "makes you feel happy like an old-time movie". If you like Jane Austen, you will like Cookson.