Wuthering Heights

This Version of Wuthering Heights is gritty and very up to date. Tom Hardy plays most of his characters, almost always, in a very unsympathetic way, yet his likability is always there. Hardy plays his characters with a lot of truth and if he does show any vulnerability within his characters(where we as the audience show sympathy towards him), it's always just for a moment, but there's never anything cliché about his performances and that's what makes him one of the best actors out there today as well as what makes this version of Wuthering Heights a great movie. That and also the beautiful Charlotte Riley, Riley and Hardy's chemistry is spot on(which doesn't surprise me that they are engaged in real life, their chemistry is amazing in this movie).

This version of Wuthering Heights shows in the greatest way of any movie I've ever seen how people can love one another and hate one another to the most highest extremes, being connected at the 'soul' so to say(Although, the hate is really more of a cover up for extreme pain inside, relating to this movie at least).

Very relatable in the sense where it shows how miserable we can make our lives when we don't let things go and we don't forgive where, at the source of it all, we're ultimately lying to ourselves about our true feelings, as is the case in this film.

Not an easy movie to watch in the sense that the chemistry is so good, that it pains you, as the movie viewer, to see the ultimate outcome, but nonetheless a great movie and one to see for Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley fans.

There have been several adaptations over the years, for my money, this is the best of them all. The novel is a mix of tragedy and love, almost every minute of this version gives you an intertwined intensity of both, the deep and destructive passion between Heathcliff and Cathy.

What I liked most of all, the cast, without being unkind, it felt like a very modern cast, Tom Hardy, Andrew Lincoln, Charlotte Riley and a few others, not necessarily the first names I'd choose for a costume drama of this sort. All however are perfect, no wonder we all love Tom Hardy, he is sensational, an epic mix of villain and dashing hero, that intensity with Riley is clearly visible.

I'd put the likes of Sarah Lancashire and Burn Gorman as actors perfect for costume drama, they just fit somehow.

Glorious production values, it looks incredible, the accompanying music fits the bill, and nobody can argue that the atmosphere is very much there.

Loved it, 9/10.

Yes, I have seen several versions of Wuthering Heights, the 1939 version holding a special place in my heart. But this adaptation caught me from the opening credits and did not let go long after it ended. This is not your grandma's Wuthering Heights, let's put it that way. It's dark, deadly, and haunting. Much credit for the success of this version goes to Tom Hardy as Heathcliff. Hardy's range as an actor gives new depth to Bronte's anti-hero. You see what a great man he could have become if not for Hindley's torturous treatment of him and Cathy's snobbish refusals. The scenes with Heathcliff and Cathy as young lovers are beautiful and true -- the chemistry between these two actors is scorching. But once Heathcliff turns down the road of cruelty and revenge, it's a slippery slope. Hardy's deep voice and stealth mannerisms give you the impression of a tiger waiting to strike. What I really liked in this version was Charlotte Riley's portrayal of Cathy. She isn't a tantrum-throwing caricature. She gives Cathy a likable earthiness that we can identify with even as she makes dreadful choices. The score, the cinematography, the secondary characters, everything is perfect. It may not be for everyone, but this adaptation is one that does the novel justice.

Being somewhat (!) obsessed with the novel, I've watched every adaption of it going and this is undoubtedly my favourite. It fully captures the darkness and moodiness of the novel and the almost painful love between Cathy and Heathcliff.

Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley have incredible chemistry in their roles, which isn't surprising since they were falling for each other in real life (and unlike Cathy and Heathcliff, they are still together, yay!). Their emotion and passion for each other really comes through, and it makes their complicated love story so much more believable. We can truly see how they are better together, terrible apart.

Aside from the leads, the supporting cast are excellent - particularly Nelly, Edgar, and Hindley. The scenery is spectacular, showing the beautiful wild of the moors. The script is a much condensed but fairly faithful version of the novel. In short, I loved this adaptation the minute I watched it and having watched it 11 years after its release, I loved it just as much.

True, it doesn't always follow the overall structure of the novel by Emily Bronte, and there are one or two slow moments. But it is beautifully done, and does a competent job of adapting a truly complicated book to screen. I don't think it is the best adaptation of the book, but it definitely not the worst. The adaptation was lovingly designed with stunning locations and exquisite costumes, and the photography was excellent. The performances were excellent, the two leads Tom Hardy and Charlotte Riley were both superb as Heathcliff and Cathy, and Andrew Lincoln and Sarah Lancashire give able support. The scriptwriter Peter Bowker, who wrote the script for the wonderful BBC drama Occupation, does a good job with the dialogue, which was in general well written and well crafted. All in all, as an adaptation it is beautifully done, not always faithful to the novel, but the performances and the visual design compensates. 8/10 Bethany Cox