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"UPSTAIRS DOWNSTAIRS" DVD Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: BBC Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
New life is breathed in the classic 1970s Masterpiece Theatre series “Upstairs Downstairs.” Rather than remaking the story from the original World War I era, the timeframe is advanced to the eve of World War II. Rose Buck (Jean Marsh) has returned to 165 Eaton Place to arrange the servants of Sir Hallam and his life Lady Agnes. While the upper crust of British society deals with their problems upstairs, the servants also face life challenges as they live downstairs.
WHAT I LIKED
Growing up, I was very much aware of “Upstairs Downstairs,” since my mother watched it every week on our local PBS affiliate. I understood the general concept – the ongoing drama of the high class family and the lower class servants living in the same house. Of course, I was too young to really understand any of it, and like many BBC period pieces, it was boring to me as a child.
I have not revisited these older episodes, but I was able to jump right into this new version. The most impressive thing to me about the series was how it was able to present the struggles of the different classes and avoid the “woe is me” aspects that come with the territory of showing the struggles of the rich. It also avoids victimizing the working class, opting for a more viscerally human approach to the characters.
The stories balance between the two, keeping up the airs that was necessary in British society in the 30s while, but not letting anyone get too condescending.
The acting is quite fine in this film, with Rose Buck from the original series providing the anchor. But there are some really surprising performances from Downstairs. Namely, Adrian Scarborough as Mr. Pritchard is extremely relateable yet stiff as he needs to be to achieve a 30s British butler. Similarly, Ellie Kendrick as the young tart maid Ivy is a perfect mix of adorability and sensual vixen.
Finally, with this DVD release on the heels of the film “The King’s Speech” winning the Oscar, bringing the story of the era’s British monarchy to a greater understanding, we get to see a similar backdrop that is suddenly more familiar to us sheltered Americans who might not know the full historical context.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
While the production value of this BBC show has grown immensely since its first incarnation in the early 1970s, there’s still a low-rent feel to parts of it. For the most part, the BBC has really stepped up its production quality, but it still lags behind its American counterparts. But still, it works for a TV series and looks good in many ways.
DVD FEATURES
The half-hour featurette “Upstairs Downstairs: Behind Closed Doors” takes a look at how the BBC updated the legendary series for a modern audience.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
People like my mother, who watched the BBC religiously via PBS back when I was a kid.
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"HUMAN PLANET" Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars) BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: BBC Back to DVD Review Home |  |
WHAT IT’S ABOUT
The BBC Earth team takes look at a nature documentary from a different angle. Rather than spotlighting the natural world, they spotlight how the human race has conquered it. This eight-episode series looks at the societies that live in the various environments Earth has to offer: Oceans, Deserts, Arctic, Jungles, Mountains, Grasslands, Rivers and Cities.
WHAT I LIKED
I have been a big fan of the BBC Earth series for a while, and once I bought a Blu-ray player and HDTV, the show popped even more. The cinematography of this series is not lacking at all, even though it’s focusing on the human element instead of just raw nature.
In this respect, there’s still plenty of nature spotlighted in this series. Most of the stories show how human beings work with nature and live in the extreme areas of the planet. Even if you’re into strictly the nature series element of BBC Earth, there’s a lot to be found here, from lions in Africa to whales in the ocean.
The parts of the BBC Earth series that have the greatest impact isn’t necessarily the animal elements, but rather the beautiful photography of nature itself. While this show deals with human civilizations, they are set among some of the most amazing backdrops, from snow-covered mountains to the deep expanses of the ocean.
A series like “Human Planet” helps put a lot of things in perspective. While I’m sitting at home worrying about gas prices, taxes and whether I’ll get all of my DVD and Blu-ray reviews written before their deadlines, it’s eye-opening to watch stories about people whose only concern is to find enough food from the natural world to keep their families alive.
WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE
Even though this Blu-ray set includes some of the most diverse locations on any of the BBC Earth series I’ve seen, I do still prefer the strictly nature documentary style of the rest of the show. Nothing against the cultures spotlighted in this series, but there does tend to be a little too much repetitive cross-over among the cultures profiled in the eight installments.
BLU-RAY FEATURES
Each episode from “Human Planet” includes a ten-minute “Behind the Lens” tag at the end featuring behind-the-scenes information on the most challenging aspects of filming that general location. The third disc in the set includes two bonus “Behind the Lens” episodes, plus a link to a third via BD-Live.
WHO’S GOING TO LIKE THIS MOVIE
Anyone who loves the BBC Earth series, particularly how it looks on Blu-ray.
