This is the interesting story of how Charles Dickens, that bastion of Victorian English domesticity and family values, succumbed to the temptation to indulge in a little strange after 21 years of marriage to his loving and faithful wife. He fell in love with Ellen Ternan, an 18-year-old actress he engaged for a play he was producing for his friend Wilkie Collins. What is so surprising is how high-handed he was in dealing with the following separation from his wife Catherine. In one scene he compels her to personally deliver to Ellen a piece of jewelry he had ordered and that the jeweler had mistakenly sent to Dickens' house. Catherine handles the meeting with admirable grace and self-respect, as she does the rest of this sordid affair, and becomes the only admirable character in this story. Ellen becomes aware of the part she is playing in the lives of rich and famous men when she learns that her lover's friend Wilkie is not married to the woman he's living with, and that he also keeps a sweet young thing ensconced in a nearby apartment. This movie would not be complete without a mention of the train crash that Ellen and Charles survived while returning to London from a trip to France. Actually, Ellen's mother was accompanying them on this trip, and she survived, too. Director Ralph Fiennes in his commentary track explained that it would be a lot of extra bother to justify her presence with them to the viewers, and so he exercised artistic license and left her out. I rate this movie five stars, but I would deduct a fraction of a star for the commentary track by actor-director Ralph Fiennes and actress Felicity Jones. There are interesting comments about the historical locations used and interesting historical notes, but I think there's a little too much mutual-admiration society stuff going on: "I just love the way you directed that scene", and "I just love the way you acted that scene". But if you're interested in the life of Charles Dickens, get this movie. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Engaging story line regarding Charles Dicken’s mistress.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
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