Film Reviews by CL

I give this film a good rating for it's excellent acting and the wonderful settings. The story is convincing and holds the attention throughout. Although fictional, it is nevertheless a plausible rendering of what life for the Brontes might have been like. Purists will no doubt be scornful of the film, but I recommend it for those who like a good period yarn which at the same time throws light on the Bronte family. ( Key board constraints prevent proper spelling of Brontë)

I give this film 5 stars for its outstanding film making, and for Bill Nighy's mesmerising performance. All the acting is first class.

While some may find parts of the film a bit depressing, the ultimate message is uplifting. It is wonderful to find that films like this are still being made in the UK today. Not to be missed.

A sobering piece of history portrayed brilliantly in this production, with fine acting from all the cast, particularly Cumberbatch, who is remarkable.

We love all of Jane Austen but found this latest film version very disappointing. It seemed very disjointed and over the top.

I recommend the versions with Gwyneth Paltrow or Romola Garai as far superior.

The Blu-ray version has a remarkably good picture and sound quality, and we found the film as enjoyable as we did some 30 years ago on a big screen in London. A long film but easy to watch in parts.

I first saw this film as a student in 60's London in one of the West End cinemas, with a still sensational big screen. It was wonderful to see it again on my new big screen TV. The restoration of this film is brilliant, and on the Blu-ray disc the picture is as sharp and clear as ever. The sound too is remarkably good. The acting is superb and of course David Lean was one of our great directors. It is a long film, but it lends itself to being watched in parts.

One word of warning: there is an unexpected period of roughly 5 minutes at the start when the screen goes completely black. You can fast forward through this.