Our Mutual Friend is a series based in Charles Dickens book of the same name, which deals mostly with the problems of having money or lack thereof, in different orders of society. It’s considered one of the most interesting works of the author and the adaptation to the screen is just as wonderful.
The heir to a fortune, returning home to marry the bride his late father has chosen for him, is found drowned in the river by Mr. Hexton and his daughter, Lizzie (Keeley Hawes). The money is then inherited by an old couple – the Boffins – who strike a friendship with the bride – Bella Wilfer (Anna Friel) – and invite her to stay with them. At the same time a mysterious stranger appears and becomes involved with both Boffins and Wilfer.
Meanwhile, Mr. Hexton is accused of murdering the young rich man but is found drowned in the river a few days later… Now, Lizzie is all alone and must find another life for her brother. She also finds herself not only fighting Mr. Headstone’s (David Morrissey) advances but also feeling unworthy of the Wraybourn’s (Paul McGann) attentions due to their class differences.
Mr. Rokesmith (Steven Mackintosh), the mysterious stranger, who later becomes Mr. Boffin’s secretary, proposes to Bella and hopes she will love him for himself. But the Boffins, scandalized by his effrontery take the matters in their hands. This is one of the most predictable stories, but nonetheless you’re glued to the screen until you are sure of the real identity of the mysterious secretary and how everything ends between him and Bella.
McKintosh and Anna Friel have a good chemistry together. The first look they held for each other is revealing and each of their scenes together are a delight.
If, at first glance, David Morrissey really looks charming and honorable, he slowly becomes scary as the deranged stalker who is driven by his insane jealousy for Eugene Wraybourn. What first begun as a sweet admiration ended up creeping us out. Remarkable performance by Morrissey who sometimes manages to create some doubts if we should rather hate him or simply pity him for his insecurities and unrequited love.
Keeley Hawes’s Lizzie is a character easy to love and admire. Gentle but yet strong, she knows it’s her duty to see her brother well and she will do anything to take him out of the hole they live. She never feels deserving of Eugene’s affections and it’s him who convinces her they belong together.
Full of secrets and with a dark gothic feel, Our Mutual Friend, present us with an astonishing cast who completely captivated us from the first scene. Steven Mackintosh and David Morrissey steal every scene they’re in and both Anna Friel and Keeley Hawes are wonderful in their roles.
The light of the candles used a bit everywhere helps also creating the right gloomy and intriguing atmosphere that will make you bit your nails and fearing for the worst.
There are several storylines intertwining and it is a long series (six hours) but we found it well worth the time it took to watch it. This is certainly one of the best BBC adaptations, very much in the style of Bleak House. A small note, the novel was adapted by Sandy Welch, who is known pretty well by all fans of North and South and Jane Eyre.
Highly recommended!
(image © BBC)
Oh, I love that one!
I only watched it for the first time a few months ago, but it is already one of my all time favorites. And I wanted to write a short review for my blog for some time now…
I completely agree with your review – aside from David Morrisey… I was panicking, when he first appeared on screen. And while I can tolerate him here, where he’s the bad guy, I do not think he’s a good actor and all he did here was way too over done. Especially with all the other brilliant actors who did not simply “act” but really filled their parts. Every move he makes only seems to scream “Here! look at me! It’s ME! I’m acting! ME!”
Sorry to be so harsh, but I really do not get him.
Aside from that – a wonderful, wonderful adaption, great actors, especially the two leading ladies!
I just recently watched this one and thought Steven Mackintosh was great in it!
Charly… Thanks for mentioning that David Morissey is in this! I feel in love with him from watching PBS’ Sense & Sensibility. I think he’s a fantastic actor, and soooo sexy.
I absolutely love this movie – and it’s definitely a favorite as far as literature, too. I love the intertwining of the plots, and I love the ending where Wraybourn (sp?) doesn’t even care what society thinks anymore, because he’s been through enough and felt enough to appreciate what he has now.
Anyways. Fine good flick.
I’m glad to see so many people like Our Mutual Friend!
Charly, I loved David Morrissey in this! Dickens seems to love to give us the craziest villains and while I thought it was a bit comical when Headstone became more and more obsessed, the series wouldn’t have been the same without him. This was the first film where I saw Morrissey so I was surprised when he was cast as Col. Brandon in Sense and Sensibility but I also thought he pulled that performance off brilliantly.
I love how Dickens provides a myriad of characters, woven in a web and you have to stay tuned until the end to untangle the mystery of who’s who! I especially love the final scene where Mrs. Boffin asks Bella to guess the name of her own husband. One of the finest miniseries, in my opinion!!
I think it’s absolutely crazy when they cast villains as heroes, and vice versa. Like Matthew Macfayden in Pride and Prejudice after seeing him as the jerk in The Way We Live Now, or Morrissey in this and then as Colonel Brandon….man it throws you for a loop. Or even something like Tom Hollander in Wives and Daughters but then you see him as that horrid Collins….ok, so my point. If they can play these opposite roles and do a good job in both, then props – that’s a good actor in my mind.
(Although there is something so creepy about Morrissey in this that I dont’ know that I can ever look at him the same again in a movie.)
You know Anorthite I had the exact same reaction you did. When I finished the mini series my thoughts were: I’ll never look at Colonel Brandon the same way again. :-S
Oh! I’ve just recently seen Our Mutual Friend and just last night was telling my Mother that she really should see it (she also enjoyed Bleak House). I thought OMF was great, loved how David Morrissey’s character disintegrated before our eyes, and enjoyed the Bella character.
As is usually the case for me, it took me a wee while to get in to it, but then it had me hooked.