41/13
Incidentally, Aidan Turner had previously filmed at Chavenage House (The Priory in Rivals)
Narrative
It follows Rupert Campbell-Black and Tony Badingham as their long-standing rivalry comes to a head.. The same filming location was also used to portray Trenwith House in the 2015 BBC television adaptation of Poldark. Back in the 90s there was a terrifying version of Riders by Jilly Cooper, TV has avoided her ever since ' gag hunters' critics felt that Jilly Cooper’s novels were dated and silly.
The triumph of this, however, is that it has the budget and time to do justice to the feel and spirit of the original book
This is far from the truth, Cooper satirizes the upper middle class of the Cotswolds with an iron mind and has always understood comedy, characters and funny plots. In many ways her work is closer to Restoration Comedy than Carry On with characters that have more development and more inner life than you might expect. Now from Disney comes RIVALS, boasting an all-star cast and the good news is that it’s a great watch, yes, it’s full of naughty moments, tits and asses, even the occasional Willie.
He’s doing a really commendable job
The changes are minor and actually reveal more of the period and politics. Bella MacLean is brilliant in the central role of Tuggi, and Alex Hassell does a great job as Rupert, a role that is impossible to choose because no one in history could be the character that Cooper created – part villain, part Adonis, part whining child. The real star of this though is the ensemble cast of great actors Emily Atack, Danny Dyer, Catherine Parkinson, all giving career best performances.
I really enjoyed it
The 80s soundtrack is relevant throughout and makes Rivals a real triumph for Disney. It’s fun, it’s frothy, but there’s a deeper wave to it that elevates it above a throwaway film and gives hope that we’ll be seeing a lot more of this team and this universe in the future. .
There’s a lot to love about Hulu’s streaming offerings this month — get excited for brand new series premieres and favorite movies to watch at home
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