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| CHARLES
II: The Power and the Passion
Distributor: Roadshow Entertainment
2 Disc Set
Director: Joe Wright
Cast Rufus Sewell, Rupert Graves, Charlie Creed-Miles, Emma Pierson, Martin Freeman, Diana Rigg, Helen McCrory, Shirley Henderson
Extras: Yes
A lavish costume romp of the first order Charles II tells the story of the lives and loves of
The Restoration king. Following the execution of his father Charles I young Charles is forced to flee into exile whilst the new crown protector Thomas Cromwell assumes the power in England .
The story begins with the now adult Charles (a fantastic, brooding Rufus Sewell) ready to return and reclaim his throne and going on to cover his numerous relationships (the King had lots of illegitimate children
his descendants include Princess Diana, Sarah Ferguson and Camilla Parker-Bowles) and the many machinations and political scheming that surrounds any
Royal Court. |
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Very stylish and enormously entertaining Charles II has everything you want in a post modern period drama, murder, intrigue and copious amounts of sexual machinations - the brilliant Helen McCrory plays Barbara Villiers who carried on a relationship with Charles for years whilst simultaneously involved with his oldest friend and her cousin the Duke of Buckingham George Villiers. Rupert Graves as Villiers brings his usual seedy suaveness to his role.
A top flight cast that includes Diana Rigg, Shirley Henderson (as Charles long time wife Catherine of Braganza who was never able to provide him with a much needed heir), Charlie Creed-Miles as Charles brother and future King James, Duke of York and Emma Pierson as the sexy Nell Gwynn only adds to the serials feel of quality. Charles II reign took in many pivotal moments in British history including the Plague and the Great Fire of London and writer Adrian Hodges has done a fantastic job bringing in all the varied strands of courtly life such as the political games Charles is forced to play contrasted with the play hard aspects of the
Royal Court.
This DVD is a slightly longer than the version recently screened on the ABC mainly scenes of a sex and violence nature that the ABC would have shied away from. Not to be missed.
EXTRAS: There is an audio commentary for episodes 1 and 4 with producer Kate Harwood, director Joe Wright and writer Adrian Hodges.
Then there is a fantastic BBC documentary The Boy Who Would Be King which aired in the UK around the time of the serial and provides a huge amount of historical background to the reign of both Charles II and his father, watch out for the cameo by Michael Palin as he looks into the history of his ancestor Thomas
Palin. Next there is a documentary on the making of the TV serial itself. Finally there is a photo gallery.
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