MovieChat Forums > The Go-Between (2015) Discussion > I rather liked it - spoilers

I rather liked it - spoilers


I didn't have any particular expectations - which is often the best way to approach things - and only really sat down to watch it because I have a soft spot for Ben Batt. But, I enjoyed this - it was certainly much better than last week's "An Inspector Calls", which was ridiculously slow to get going and basically a polemic rather than a proper drama... A few niggles... Young Leo's doe-eyed-ness got a little annoying. (Old Leo was doing it at the end as well. So, I presume they'd decided that was a feature of the character...) Ted's farm seemed bizarrely understaffed... And - being really picky - the Land Rover Ted's grandson got into in the village at the end seemed much more modern than the 1950s, which jarred a little... Of course, there's the whole business of wondering why on Earth Leo should feel guilty about anything, when he's basically been used by Marian and Ted, been treated unfairly by the mental mother and had the horrible experience of finding the dead body of someone he'd come to care about to a certain extent. But, no doubt that's all in the book, which I'm now actually quite keen to read... Putting the doe-eyed-ness to one side, Jack Holligton was very good, as was the rest of the cast... And, we really can't ignore the nudity... Of course, Aidan Turner's shirtlessness in "Poldark" caused rather a stir. But, Mr Batt's starkers emergence from the lake was very saucy for Sunday evening tele. (Not that I'm complaining..!) Excellent period detail - apart from that Land Rover - as you'd expect from the BBC... As I said, I liked it.

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Jack Hollington was good as the young Leo.

That said I was less impressed by Batt. I just knew that they would not get the accent right. He spoke with a West Country accent for most of the show with hints of South Yorks. along the way. He should have had a Norfolk accent - which admittedly can sound similar but it is no way near the same.

Also I noticed that as a farm labourer he would not be writing with a copperplate style.

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I would have liked to hear Norfolk accents in the film.

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Me too. But I knew the producers/director would bottle it and just do a west country accent knowing that most of England wouldn't really notice.

I also knew they would not film it in Norfolk (as the previous 1971 version was) or in Norwich. Despite the Norwich scene being a whole chapter in the book and part of forming of Leo character.

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Why did Leo go to Thirsk for his little green suit. I thought Thirsk was in Yorkshire, not Norfolk?

Anyway, I really enjoyed it. The boy who played Leo was excellent.




You're my wife now.

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He went to Norwich. It said Norwich at the railway station (though obviously not Norwich station). In the book that went by carriage, which makes sense because the Maudsley's won't be travelling by rail being upper class.

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Ah OK. My hearing is going!





You're my wife now.

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Good points. To me, this tv movie is kind of "Lady Chatterley's lover" without the passion...and re-writed by Julian Fellowes. I regret that Vanessa Redgrave was so few minutes on screen, I love her so much.

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