Vanity Fair (2018) User Reviews

fascinating miniseries propelled by a wonderful Olivia Cooke

[cherold · 8/10 · 3 November 2020]

The author of Vanity Fair intended a novel without a hero, according to wikipedia. At first protagonist Becky Sharpe seems like a heroine - a smart, strong-willed woman aiming at success - but her flaws soon become apparent, and they are many. And most of the people she meets are either no better, or better but much dumber.

Becky is neither all bad nor all good, although her bad qualities are sometimes very, very bad. To me it seems Becky is doing her best in a society in which the only option for a woman - no matter how smart - to achieve upward mobility is through marriage, and Becky is a character who should be wheeling and dealing but instead spends her time on seduction and plotting. (I don't know if that's how she comes across in the book.)

Olivia Cooke is wonderful as Becky (she has a cheeky, sardonic quality reminiscent of Phoebe Waller-Bridge), and the rest of the cast is excellent.

Highly recommended.

Review of the Entire Seven-Part Series

[lavatch · 7/10 · 31 December 2018]

This was a beautifully photographed version of "Vanity Fair" with a stellar cast. Even the tiniest roles were well performed. There is a recurring framing device for each episode in the form of a narrator speaking in the voice of author William Makepeace Thackeray, who appears in front of a carousel. He welcomes the viewer to "a world in which everyone is striving for what is not worth having."

Indeed, the theme of the series revolves around the vertical carousel of characters seeking to ascend the rigid social ladder of nineteenth-century British society. Central to the narrative is the orphan Rebecca Sharp, the protagonist whom we see scale the heights of a treacherous class system.

A problem with the series was that for the first five episodes, Miss Sharp is for the most part a decent and kind person. It is not until the penultimate episode 6 that we see her true colors as she is unfaithful to her devoted husband Rawdon. The greed and amorality were most apparent in her affair with Lord Steyne, as Becky hordes a stash of the money she received from him. Inexplicably, she refuses to rush to the aid of her husband and pay his bond after has has been detained for failing to pay the family's debts. The treatment shown by Becky to her young son bordered by child abuse, even by standards of the nineteenth century. Overall, the Miss Sharp's character was unevenly portrayed over the course of the seven programs. It was as if the filmmakers were manipulating us in being drawn to her virtures, then shocked by her abhorrent conduct in episode 6.

The film also came up short in the final episode in the interpretation of William Dobbin, the self-effacing captain who has spent years in slavish devotion to Becky's best friend, Amelia Sedley. In episode 7, Dobbin finally has his opportunity to woo Amelia, but loses his temper and calls her (with much validity) a "shallow" woman. The relationship is broken off seemingly irreparably. Yet ten minutes later, they are in marital bliss, thanks to the intervention of Becky and her "one good deed" to unite Amelia and William Dobbin in holy matrimony. This sequence was jarring and unbelievable. Dobbin had such poise throughout the film that he never would have lost his temper to the degree portrayed in the episode 7. And Amelia was so devoted to the memory of her husband George, who died at Waterloo, that it stretched credibility to watch Amelia suddenly admit that her deceased husband was a cad and a blackguard.

Seven episodes may have been too brief to develop the full arch of development of the main characters in this "Vanity Fair." The screenplay was good, but far too compacted in the final two episodes. While this was an extremely watchable series, the overall effect seemed untidy and incomplete. The best part of the film was the humor that derived principally from the family members of Sir Pit Cawley, especially the indomitable figure of his fussy aunt Matilda. Kudos to the scripting and the character actors who played the roles of the Cawley clan!

BBC always does it better

[maryrock90 · 8/10 · 5 September 2018]

One of my favorite novels of all time, Vanity Fair has been adapted once again for ITV for a new TV series. I remember when i watched the 1998 BBC version thinking there is no way this will be ever surpassed and so far my opinion has not changed. After the horrendous 2004 film featuring a heavily pregnant Reese Witherspoon who played a very watered down, much more romantic Becky, i have noticed writers tend to make her more likable than she is supposed to be. In this newest version, she's quirky, charming and delightful and that's all right but there seems to be no ulterior motive behind it, no calculation, no strategy. Becky Sharp is a social climbing opportunist who does pretty despicable things along the way.She weaves her way through situations to take advantage of what she can. Whatever she does, has an ultimate purpose; her friendship with Amelia leads her to brother Joseph who is wealthy. Her interest in Rawdon and Miss Crawley is the inheritance he is about to get once she passes away. Here it is portrayed like a fairytale, a rich heir who falls in love with a poor governess who we must root for. Olivia Cooke is a decent actress and i'm curious to see how she'll unveil Becky's wickedness as the story progresses. This is the Novel Without A Hero. We aren't supposed to like her and i don't understand why modern versions insist on it. Natasha Little was a fascinating Becky, both schemish and sly but also charming and cunning. As for the rest of the cast it is baffling what they did with Pitt Crawley, Rawdon's brother. They replaced him with Bute who is in fact Sir Pitt's brother and i don't get why not just keep the characters as they are in the book. Modern music in period dramas has become a trend so i'll just ignore that altogether; there is a soapopera feel to the music score at times. The whole thing looks as if it's been edited with an istagram filter making everything look overexposed. This cast is fairly younger than in the rest of the adaptations which makes sense since the aim is to draw in a younger audience. George Osborne isn't as handsome or as snobbish as he should be and Amelia looks less naive for this role. Overall, BBC kept it faithful to the novel with outstanding performances and not much fluff. I shall always love thay version more but i'll keep watching this one as well to see the outcome.

Good but not great

[Laight · 6/10 · 22 December 2020]

Still, good isn't bad these days. The actors are all talented (except for Amelia, whose role is almost impossible to play as she's such a weak sap); the direction brisk, the settings well done. The use of Madonna's Material Girl is jarring however, as are other references to modern music. Still, if you've got seven hours and want to travel back to the England in the time of the Napoleonic Wars, and you enjoy a show where the leading lady is conniving and cruel, you could do a lot worse.

A fun new adaptation of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 10 October 2018]

'Vanity Fair' is the story of Becky Sharp; a young woman determined to rise to the top of London society. To this end she flirts with the rich and powerful and is quick to move on to the next potential suiter if she thinks he will further her ambitions. Of course things don't always go according to plan but Becky is one of nature's survivors and is soon on her way up again. Her life is juxtaposed with that of her friend Amelia 'Emmy' Sedley; the daughter of a wealthy businessman whose life seems to be going in the opposite direction.

This satire on the social mores of the time it was written still feels delightfully fresh. The modern music during the opening and closings, and the electric lights on the merry-go-round the characters ride on during the introduction remind us that the World will always have its Becky Sharps wanting to get to the top. Becky could easily be an unsympathetic character but a combination of fine writing and great acting from Olivia Cooke make it hard for the viewer not to root for her. The rest of the cast is top-notch too; even the more comic characters feel real. As one would expect from a period drama everything looks great. Overall I'd certainly recommend this; even to people who don't consider themselves fans of adaptations of literary classics.

So we've paid for the army uniforms let's make full use

[paulhetherington-73059 · 6/10 · 5 September 2018]

...Said the producer to the director. Surely you can get those 6 marching soldiers in every street scene. I think the British army was around 300000 in preparation for the possible French invasion. They all seem to be based on this one street. Doing drill duty badly, for some strange reason. There is a point where setting the scene can be somewhat overdone.

My Favorite Version So Far!

[stonehelen · 10/10 · 6 September 2018]

It's been great seeing this series doing something very different, how refreshing!! Claudia Jessie is a really good Amelia, and Olivia Cooke is equally good as Becky!

How refreshing to see how Gwyneth Hughes has revitalized the series, a perfect classic to adapt for ITV - even though people think BBC are better at this sort of thing! Clearly not here

The music is original! Enticing and fits with the originality of this version!

Loved it, but...

[sarahjgodley · 7/10 · 4 October 2018]

Thoroughly enjoyed it, EXCEPT for the usual flaw in historical dramas which seems to have crept in in the last few years. Every single time a horse appears onscreen, you hear a neigh, even though it's apparent that the horse in question is not neighing - it's like hearing the sound of a dog barking although the dog shown has its mouth shut. It's always the same bloody horse too, the only time a horse makes a sound like that is when it's a stallion which has the scent of an in-season mare. Somewhere in the mists of time one sound engineer has recorded one stallion, and it's that stallion's voice that appears in every film and television programme from Game of Thrones to this. Horses seldom neigh, they don't neigh in the same way that dogs bark or cows moo, for them it's long-distance communication they don't often use. There are a over million people who have regular day-to-day dealings with horses in the UK alone, and we've all noticed, so please STOP IT!

Wonderful Mini-Series

[felixjohnson72 · 10/10 · 6 September 2018]

This modernised version should NOT be compared with either the movie or the other tv series version! It's completely different with both heart and soul!

I rather doubt there will be a better version.

So far Becky is a delightful little minx and Amelia is innocent and sweet, both actors playing their parts, very well!

There are so many brilliant actors, too many to mention. It's captivating, entertaining, funny and heart wrenching, can't wait to watch the rest

I

[Headturner11 · 7/10 · 4 January 2023]

Would of rated it higher but I couldn't stand Olivia Cooke in it! She basically ruined a good show for me any ways. I haven't finished the last episode yet( well I'm half way thru and I couldn't get my internet to work for an hour so I'll finish tonight! I've been into period pieces as of late and have watched pretty much all the ones I could bear. I even tried to get thru Brigerton( what a joke)! I do love Polly Walker but can't stand when they take such liberties with history that it's just a complete work of fiction I'll pass. Any ways if Cookes character was more likable this wouldn't have been awful/bad but I just could not stand her character. I'll finish the last episode tonight and see of it changes anything.

A great production

[petrawillows-15423 · 10/10 · 7 September 2018]

I went into watching this unsure I guess, especially after seeing the trailer and hearing the music, but once I started watching, I was like WOW! far from dull! It's actually far better than what I expected! I am really enjoying it.

I don't know too much about the book, and I am glad, as I might have been of a similar opinion to the dowdy people reviewing it on here. (God! calm down!) It is visually stunning.

The sets (CGI) and costumes are incredibly grand without being over the top. The acting is top notch from EVERYBODY involved.

In a word, it is FANTASTIC! And it's human!

Good Enough

[PennyReviews · 7/10 · 5 November 2018]

I have been a fan of Vanity Fair for years, though the book was a difficult one to read. Here, the drama, although the begining and the ending were a little out of place, the story was presented beautifully and showed exactly how Becky's character really was and how it was developed. I really enjoyed the leading lady's performance, that was just enough, not too overplayed, but not too simple either. However, I did find the war scenes kind of boring. And the ending was left open. So, 7 out of 10.

Why did they even bother?

[agnabeya · 2/10 · 10 October 2018]

I read Vanity Fair every couple of years- it truly is that good. It sparkles with cruel wit and depicts Becky's skill at manipulating the vanity of other social climbers to become the greatest social climber of them all. The satire in the book cuts right to the heart of the hypocrisy of the wealthy powerful of this period. The whole thing was condensed into a quickly garbled telling of the gist of the story- and reflected nothing of the original's attraction for me. Becky is manipulative and clever- behind a meek mask- but she should not be pretty. She is also evil and heartless - ignored in this production for some reason. To cast a physically lovely actress like Olivia Cooke is lazy- and misses the point. Amelia was miscast too. It is not an adaptation at all- they have simply re-written Vanity Fair for Millenials. The best adaptation I ever saw was the 1998 version with Eve Mathieson. Vanity Fair was a classic very much of it's time. Rather than modernise classics- I wish writers would just produce their own story. Martin Clunes and Frances de La Tour were excellent as they always are- and Johnny Flynn handled Dobbin well. Dobbin can often come across as wooden- but again- Johnny Flynn was a handsome Dobbin. He should not have been. The whole point of this 'book without a hero' is how judging anyone on their looks alone is pointless and frivolous. With the budget and modern production techniques available- this was a missed opportunity. It was not Vanity Fair.

Recommended.

[LukeCustomer2 · 7/10 · 12 May 2020]

For my money the actual story of Vanity Fair is not one that I particularly like. The story itself is meant to share a witty lesson about social climbing and class prejudice. This is not something that is something I want necessarily to see. However, this was a good and interesting take on the story that made me more interested. Olivia Cooke stars as Rebecca Sharp. This was a great casting choice. Olivia Cooke was wonderful in "Bates Motel" and she is great here. She has a way of smiling and appearing friendly that is sooo genuine that you could see could make people believe she was a good person, though she at times, can be a very bad person. As a member of the audience I keep going back and forth about if Rebecca is evil. Also wonderful is the way Olivia plays her knowing looks to the fourth wall.. making the audience feel like a secret member of "team" Becky. For me, everything else was the problem. I found all the rest of the casting -- to be limp and lifeless. (except for Tom Bateman) and frankly the story itself annoys me. Amelia Sedley is there to compare and contrast with Rebecca but at every turn I just wanted to smack her upside her head. Not have most everything work out for her. I think this story actually works much better as a talking point than an enjoyable time but it was interesting and well done and I would definitely recommend it.

Becky with a Twinkle in her Eye

[mgumsley · 9/10 · 5 September 2018]

ITV are no slouches when it comes to the adaptation of classical novels, and I am delighted that Vanity Fair is proving to be a first class series. Thackeray's sharp wit and sometimes cynical view of human behaviour is portrayed with skill by a top class cast.

There is hardly a false step anywhere with Becky doing all she can to convince her tv audience and her companions in the Crawley household that she is the Queen of all she Surveys. She is ably assisted by a nimble cast, notably Martin Clunes as the roguish Pitt Crawley and Frances de la Tour as the irrepressible Miss Crawley. I don't know if a series as good as this needs the modern music and I am hoping ITV won't spring the BBC's favourite trick of changing the ending of the story.

Mary Gumsley

Better than average

[qui_j · 6/10 · 10 April 2022]

This is a slightly bizarre adaption of a classic novel. Olivia Cooke is good as the conniving and scheming Becky. The problem is the choppy editing that jumps the story line in a manner that creates gaps and diminishes viewer continuity. It's as if they are in a hurry to tell the story without the deliciously wicked satire of the novel. Using a soundtrack with 20th century music is just silly as it completely ruins the mood of the series and suggests that it is not to be taken seriously. It also drowns out the dialog at points, necessitating the use of subtitles to hear what is being said. There are comedic moments, but if the idea is to try and maintain the 18th century feeling, then that use of 20th century music is just ridiculous and unacceptable. The script is not that well written , but there are moments where it is a passable version of the original text, others where it comes across like a Christmas Pantomime.

It's watchable, but not great!

Fantastic

[kittylisabennett · 10/10 · 3 September 2018]

Glitzy, cutting and in this day and age relevant.

The casting is superior as is the dialogue and costumes.

Whilst I adore the film, this dramatisation is giving more depth to the story. I for one cannot wait for the third part. Welcome addition to a boring Sunday night.

Olivia Cooke Is Great

[annlevtex · 7/10 · 16 August 2020]

First off, I like the use of modern music in period pieces, so long as it works, and it does here. I like fresh takes on classics. I have no desire to watch a stale retread, no matter how well done. This version is more than true enough to the source material and the era in which it is set. The biggest and best difference is Olivia Cooke as Becky, who has the carriage and crisp inflection of a Regency-era protagonist with a sly, arch, amusingly impatient modern twist. Cooke has charisma to spare, but she doesn't have to mug or over-emote or toss her hair to shine. She's restrained while still bursting with life and wit. Becky is far from (entirely) sympathetic, but she is a force to behold. As for the rest of the cast, they are just fine. I like Tom Bateman's Rawden, even if I find it hard not to compare him to James Purefoy in the film version with Reese Witherspoon.

The one who bugs me is Amelia. I understand that she is sweet, naive, tender, pure of heart, devoted to her One True Love, etc. But here, Amelia is just too much of a sap. She constantly has this wet-eyed, tremulous look that makes her seem like a kicked puppy. I want to shake her sometimes. And by being so insufferably meek, she manages to make Becky in all of her cool calculation look better somehow. I don't fault the actress for this. I've seen Claudia Jessie in "Bridgerton" and she is quite good playing a wholly different character. I think this was the fault of the direction.

The production value is decent. The pace could be a little quicker. The supporting cast is good. The battle scenes seemed maybe unnecessary? Overall, a good watch, but mainly for Cooke.

Perfectly fair adaptation

[c-kelsall · 9/10 · 2 September 2018]

I have just finished watching the first episode of this latest adaptation of William Makepeace Thackary's classic tale of fighting against the tide of traditional class prejudice in Regency England. Aside from the odd choice of a contemporary song to open proceedings, it was note-perfect. Olivia Cooke was the perfect choice to play Becky Sharp, delivering a version of the character that has never felt more right, complete with occasional knowing looks through the 4th wall. This is all the more remarkable for the fact that Olivia Cooke has not come through the traditional dramatic training for period roles, and has done a fantastic job of delivering the required 'received pronunciation' instead of her native Northern British accent. From what I've seen of her so far, she has a glittering career ahead of her. If the rest of this series is a well made and paced as the opener, then it ought to be lauded as the finest example of the genre in quite some time.

It's okay

[w-08323 · 7/10 · 9 May 2020]

A little understanding of the mistress's situation, many people say that she loves vanity and is clever and intelligent. But her spirit always has a sense of hunger and poverty, and she needs to constantly pursue material to fill her desires and get rid of unrest.She can only live on the surface of life, when it comes to deep self-esteem, love and family, she can not always get a sense of security and belonging, which is really related to the growth experience.But after all, she is not considered to have wisdom, because she loves herself too much and decides to stop growing and let herself go; Losing the true love of a lifetime, hurting the family and children, and regretting it for life.

beautiful visuals and acting

[simonediago · 10/10 · 6 September 2018]

I have watched episode 1 & 2 on catch up and I LOVE it so far, I can only imagine it to get better, so waiting patiently for next episode

I have never seen the previous versions, nor would I want to, but I have read the book, but I appreciate, being a person who is open to diversity and to new and fresh interpretation.

The characters in the series are well done, and am so far thoroughly caught up in their lives.

I most definitely recommend it and also urge people to give it a chance!

Just About Okay

[martimusross · 6/10 · 25 January 2023]

Vanity Fair

Overall it was fairly robust adaptation, certainly plenty of money was spent on it, however much of the spoken narrative did not root it in the world of the novel. A Jane Austen novel must have Georgian speak and Thackeray must Victorian speak.

The central character of Becky Sharp was misplayed, we were meant to like her, but playing her as a modern fortune hunter with no principles grated terribly, in the novel Becky Sharp was a victim who not of her choosing had to make decisions to her advantage, she made mistakes, but we liked her!

The rewriting of the racism of the time represented in the novel is to cancel the essence of novel and rewrite a history we need to be reminded of. It the adaptor didn't want to adapt Vanity Fair adapt another more woke work. Why meddle when the class wars are vicious and portrayed exactly as in the book.

I hated the modern music and satire is mostly missing and it's seems made for teenage girls. It a 6 outta 10 from me, I enjoyed but the essence of book was missing.

A Vain Joke

[lovelylibra-15918 · 3/10 · 7 September 2018]

Does no one study or research the eras they are writing about? The accents are laughable, the characters far fetched, and we are so gung ho on being politically correct we seek to ruin characters? This is ridiculous. Just leave the classics alone and write new stories.

Little Treasure

[mckenziejono · 10/10 · 4 September 2018]

'Vanity Fair' I think Gwyneth Huges has done a great job with this adaptation! Only the British do fine work, so much finess, costumes, beautiful new and modern music, and above all, the performances that are all on an extraordinarily high level, especially loving the friendship between the girls!

I have only seen 2 episodes so far (I intend seeing all, doesn't make sense to watch one or two and not the rest! Real dumb!

There's deceit, scheming, wicked behaviour from Becky, wonderfully played and then there is beautiful, sensitive and most of all devoted Amelia, both doing a great job in their extreme roles. The rest of the cast are incredible! With some very famous actors.

Is it an excellent drama? Yes! Does Is it clever and witty? Yes! No! Does it have wonderful acting? Yes! There are some rising stars and I look forward to seeing more of them

Outstanding

[billiephil · 10/10 · 6 September 2018]

Delightfully acted by the cast. In fact casting overall is impressive, in fact quite special! & Olivia fills the role of Becky sharp perfectly.

There are some big names in this show, I was (or am) really impressed by Claudia Jessie playing Amelia, she is quite exquisite

The backdrop is also beautiful and the soundtrack, which I will be definitely buying, is stunning, up to date and unique!

Move over this show is FAR from boring!! Some of it's reviewers are old and boring though :)