30/48
Coincidentally, Aidan Turner has previously filmed at Chavenage House (The Priory in Rivals)
Scenario
Follow Rupert Campbell-Black and Tony Baddingham as their long-running rivalry reaches its peak. The same location was also used for filming Trenwith House in the 2015 BBC TV adaptation of Poldark.
The 90s saw Jilly Cooper’s terrible version of ‘Riders’, as TV had shunned her since ‘Bonkbusters’ Critics considered Jilly Cooper’s novels dated and silly
It’s far from the truth, Cooper satirizes the upper middle class of the Cotswolds with an iron wit and has always had a flair for comedy, character and witty plots. In many ways his work is more like a restoration comedy than ‘Carry On’, with characters showing more development and more inner life than you’d expect.
The changes are minor and actually offer more insight into the era and politics
Now comes RIVALS from Disney which boasts a great cast and the good news is that it’s a great watch, yes it’s full of naughty moments and tits and boobs, even the occasional willy. Its triumph however is that it has the budget and time to do justice to the feel and spirit of the original book.
He does a really commendable job
Bella Maclean is great in the central role of Tagie and Alex Hassel does a brilliant job as Rupert, a role that’s impossible to forgive because no one in the story can be a character that Cooper created – part villain, part Adonis, part whiny child. The real star here though is the ensemble cast of wonderful character actors Emily Atack, Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson, all of whom give career-best performances.
I really enjoyed it
The ’80s soundtrack is on point throughout and makes “Rivals” a real win for Disney. It’s fun, it’s frothy, but it has a deeper foundation that elevates it beyond the signature film and gives hope that we’ll see a lot more of this team and this universe in the future.