Rent Canterbury Tales (2003)
3.7 of 5 from 54 ratings
5h 55min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
The BBC's highly-acclaimed modern retelling of six of Chaucer's classic tales.
1. The Miller's Tale
When smooth talking Nick (James Nesbitt) arrives in a flash red sports car, young wannabe pop star Alison (Billie Piper) thinks that her dreams have come true and incites the jealousy of her husband John (Dennis Waterman).
2. The Wife of Bath
Beth Craddock (Julie Walters) is a TV actress who still believes in Mr Right, even after a number of failed marriages. But is her dashing co-star, Jerome (Paul Nicholls) her soulmate despite their large age difference?
3. The Knight's TaleAce (John Simm) and Paul (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are two prisoners who both fall in love with their teacher, Emily (Keeley Hawes) and it begins to tear their friendship apart with devastating effect.
4. The Sea Captain's Tale
Jetender (Om Puri) is a powerful 'Godfather' like figure in a close knit Asian community. Meena (Indira Varma) is his beautiful, spoilt, extravagant wife with an uncontrollable spending habit...
5. The Pardoner's Tale
Three down and outs, Arty (Jonny Lee Miller), Colin (William Beck) and Baz (Ben Bennett) try to cash in on the hunt for a missing girl.Their greed brings about their grim downfall.
6. The Man of Law's Tale
A young Nigerian refugee, Constance (Nikki Amuka-Bird) is caught up in a love triangle between the man who lusts after her and the man that she loves, Alan (Andrew Lincoln). Constance's tragic past has a dramatic impact on everyone and Alan embarks on a dangerous search for her in Nigeria.- Actors:
- Nikki Amuka-Bird, Rob Brown, Chiwetel Ejiofor, James Nesbitt, Indira Varma, Julie Walters, Paddy Fletcher, Adam Kotz, Bill Nighy, Usha Patel, Billy Seymour, Samantha Whittaker, Rakie Ayola, Rick Bacon, Joe Halliday, Indira Joshi, Jonny Lee Miller, Stephen Tallett, Ben Bennett, Pascale Burgess
- Directors:
- John MacKay, Andy De Emmony, Marc Munden, Julian Jarrold
- Producers:
- Kate Bartlett
- Writers:
- Avie Luthra, Peter Bowker, Tony Marchant, Sally Wainwright, Tony Grounds, Olivia Hetreed, Geoffrey Chaucer
- Studio:
- IMC Vision
- Genres:
- British TV, TV Dramas
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Reviews (2) of Canterbury Tales
Excellent Acting in Modern take on Chaucer's tales - Canterbury Tales review by CD
Disc 1: Fantastic performances by James Nesbitt (in the Miller's Tale) and Julie Walters in the Wife of Bath. Plenty of wit and fun in both although the Miller's Tale seemed a long way from what I remembered of Chaucer's original tale.
Less keen on the Knight's Tale but mainly because of the dark rendition of the plot in a modern prison - I am sure that some will like it as a tragedy as it is blessed again by great acting .
I'm looking forward to disc 2!
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Good in parts - Canterbury Tales review by SB
The three tales on Disc 1 vary widely. James Nesbitt is excellent in the Miller's tale as a conman and chancer who finds several victims in a village. It never tips over the edge of unbelievability. In The Wife of Bath's Tale, Julie Walters treads a line line between being ridiculous, unlikeable and sympathetic at the same time, and gets away with it. The last episode, The Knight's Tale, is less satisfactory although Chiwetel Ejiofor shows early signs of promise as a very good actor. Keely Hawes is wasted.
On Disc 2, Indira Varma glitters as the beautiful and amoral wife of a shady businessman, defying the conventions of her community in The Sea Captain's Tale. The other two Tales, although well cast, are not worth watching.
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