Little Dorrit might be one of Dickens' lesser-known stories, but it is nonetheless powerful for that. His criticism of Britain's legal system is probably better known from Bleak House, but I really enjoyed this series and loved the characters in it. The story is complex and I think I would benefit from watching it again and probably reading the book as well. I remember Bleak House began to bore me with the many characters which seemed like cartoons, but Little Dorrit features some engaging and liklikablelk.
The main ones are Amy Dorrit and Arthur Clennams, whose lives are inextricably linked through various incidents in the past. Arthur spots the link before Amy, but there is a huge age difference and his estrangement from his family doesn't help with their budding romance.
Dickens' ability to build a world and populate it with believable characters is phenomenal. When the story opens, we see Amy's world, a debtor's prison where she has lived all her life, after her father's debts ran out of control. The drab, dark colours and eerie atmosphere of Victorian London are so well depicted, as is the house where Mrs Clennams runs the family business, to which Little Dorrit comes in search of work. It looks rather like a haunted house, and it is a dusty, dirty place that hides many secrets.
In true Dickens fashion, Amy's world changes, but she is such a steadfast, stoic character, she struggles to change with it. Claire Foy is perfectly cast as the angelic Amy, her huge eyes reflecting her emotions and her apparently calm exterior hiding a tormented soul. Matthew McFadyen complements her perfectly with his charm and good looks, and his tendency to treat her like his little sister.
The supporting cast features the cream of British talent. Andy Serkis makes the French villain Rigaud believable (even his accent is on point,) and a special mention also to Eddie Marsan as Mr Ponckas, the prickly debt collector who has a heart of gold beneath the porcupine exterior. The other standouts include Amanda Redman, as the pushy Mrs Merdle and Annette Crosbie as the decrepit aunt of Arthur's old flame.
The cinematography is outstanding throughout, especially as the camera wanders around the back streets of London, but the scenes in Venice provide some welcome light and shade after the Dorrits become seasoned travelers' doing Europe'.
There are wonderful production values here, with a script that could have been written by Dickens himself. With fourteen episodes it is a trifle on the long side, and this is a story that will stay in the memory more than many of Dickens' more famous adaptations.
The main ones are Amy Dorrit and Arthur Clennams, whose lives are inextricably linked through various incidents in the past. Arthur spots the link before Amy, but there is a huge age difference and his estrangement from his family doesn't help with their budding romance.
Dickens' ability to build a world and populate it with believable characters is phenomenal. When the story opens, we see Amy's world, a debtor's prison where she has lived all her life, after her father's debts ran out of control. The drab, dark colours and eerie atmosphere of Victorian London are so well depicted, as is the house where Mrs Clennams runs the family business, to which Little Dorrit comes in search of work. It looks rather like a haunted house, and it is a dusty, dirty place that hides many secrets.
In true Dickens fashion, Amy's world changes, but she is such a steadfast, stoic character, she struggles to change with it. Claire Foy is perfectly cast as the angelic Amy, her huge eyes reflecting her emotions and her apparently calm exterior hiding a tormented soul. Matthew McFadyen complements her perfectly with his charm and good looks, and his tendency to treat her like his little sister.
The supporting cast features the cream of British talent. Andy Serkis makes the French villain Rigaud believable (even his accent is on point,) and a special mention also to Eddie Marsan as Mr Ponckas, the prickly debt collector who has a heart of gold beneath the porcupine exterior. The other standouts include Amanda Redman, as the pushy Mrs Merdle and Annette Crosbie as the decrepit aunt of Arthur's old flame.
The cinematography is outstanding throughout, especially as the camera wanders around the back streets of London, but the scenes in Venice provide some welcome light and shade after the Dorrits become seasoned travelers' doing Europe'.
There are wonderful production values here, with a script that could have been written by Dickens himself. With fourteen episodes it is a trifle on the long side, and this is a story that will stay in the memory more than many of Dickens' more famous adaptations.