Reviews & Ratings for
The Beggar's Opera (TV) More at IMDbPro »

5 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
For fans of the original, 3 October 2009

Author: newatt-2 from Toronto, Canada

This is a really interesting outing which attempts to be naturalistic with a deeply artificial form. I have watched it tens of times because I love the original and I love this version.

As always, MacHeath and Polly are not terribly likable - which is more a fault of changing mores and the script than the acting.

However, everyone else in the cast is brilliant, with the most amazingly chewy performance by Patricia Routledge as Mrs. Peachum. Peachum and Lockit and Lucy and Filch are all very likable. Bob Hoskins does an excellent cameo.

The production values are really high. The costuming is wonderful. The music is lush. The scenery is appropriately grotty and dark.

The meta-ness of the attempt to be natural with it can turn one's head inside out occasionally, particularly with the lovely ending gallop to "Thus I stand like the Turk", which substitutes for a curtain call. All in all, if you like the play, you should really enjoy this TV-made film.

1 out of 6 people found the following review useful:
One of the worst films I've ever watched., 10 May 2006

Author: razmorrison981 from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

I have to admit that this is the single most dreadful film I've ever seen. It is rated as E (Exempt from classification) but there is so much dodgy stuff in it that it is not suitable for younger children.

I've heard that the man who played the role of MacHeath was only cast because he could sing in a cockney accent. After watching it I concur that they could have had no other reason for choosing him. In order for the character of MacHeath to work, the audience needs to like him, despite his many faults. He needs to be a lovable rogue for the audience to want him to be let off but the man that was cast just comes off as smarmy. He also is supposed to be the leader of a gang but he lacks the screen presence and charisma to pull it off.

Other faults include how the actors talks. The film, which is based on a play, uses very difficult language. The actors try to speak these lines naturalistically and thus lose some of the meaning. They also talk very quickly, so it is impossible to understand what is being said, it all sounds like one continuous sound.

The singing is also uninspiring. The sing the words fine but they don't seem to put much meaning behind the words. A lot of the time you can see the actors concentrating on trying to remember the lyrics and hit the right notes, it doesn't seem like they are in character at all.

On the plus side there are some good points to the film, they are very few and far between but they are there - mostly in the form of comedic moments. Once, when one of the women, who are fighting over MacHeath, is singing the other is standing next to her pulling faces. Another time we see snort something, we were just shocked that a film which isn't rated could show so much drug use, clothed sex scenes and MacHeath's obsession with breasts. Also the fact that the only words used to address women or talk about them are slut, wench, whore and hussy.

If you like being bored and annoyed at the same time then watch this film. If not, don't! It's not worth it!

Add another review

Related Links