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Product Description
Director Stephen Frears (The Queen) brings to life Posy Simmonds' comic strip serialised in The Guardian from 2005-2007, starring Gemma Atherton (St Trinians, Quantum of Solace) as glamorous newspaper columnist Tamara Drewe.
Once a shy and unattractive teenager from a small rural idyll, Tamara's past catches up with her when she returns to the village and has to face an old flame.
Once a shy and unattractive teenager from a small rural idyll, Tamara's past catches up with her when she returns to the village and has to face an old flame.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
As most viewers are probably aware the story is a loose updating of Hardy's "Far from the madding crowd" and focuses on the amorous machinations in a small Dorset community that are provoked by the return of Tamara Drewe to her home village from metropolitan London.
I am quite surprised at the relatively low rating for this film by other Amazon users. I found it an extremely funny, gently cruel movie, which touches lightly on some of the more confusing and painful truths of life, love, adultery and desire. In focussing upon the misadventures of folk associated with a writers' retreat in the village the viewer can take some comfort from the thought their schadenfreude is at the expense, for the most part, of a very egocentric and often unpleasent group of individuals. Of course the innocent and sympathetic get hurt in the process: that this truth is clearly put gives an appealing edge to the film and marks it out from the general, forgettable horde of rom-coms.
The cast are excellent but special mention must be made of Jessica Barden and Charlotte Christie who are particularly brilliant as the two bored local schoolgirls who act as a sort of Chorus to the antics of the adults of the village.
I am quite surprised at the relatively low rating for this film by other Amazon users. I found it an extremely funny, gently cruel movie, which touches lightly on some of the more confusing and painful truths of life, love, adultery and desire. In focussing upon the misadventures of folk associated with a writers' retreat in the village the viewer can take some comfort from the thought their schadenfreude is at the expense, for the most part, of a very egocentric and often unpleasent group of individuals. Of course the innocent and sympathetic get hurt in the process: that this truth is clearly put gives an appealing edge to the film and marks it out from the general, forgettable horde of rom-coms.
The cast are excellent but special mention must be made of Jessica Barden and Charlotte Christie who are particularly brilliant as the two bored local schoolgirls who act as a sort of Chorus to the antics of the adults of the village.
68 of 74 people found the following review helpful
By Mr. Ian A. Macfarlane
TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
This is an enjoyable film but not a remarkable one. Based quite faithfully on Posy Simmonds' 'Guardian' cartoon strip, which eventually became a 'graphic novel', it adapts some elements in Hardy's 'Far from the Madding Crowd' to a modern English rural setting. Tamara returns to the village in which she was brought up to renovate and eventually sell her former home. A kind of voluptuous innocent, she has affairs with Ben Sergeant, a scowling pop guitarist, and Nicholas Hardiment, the fairly loathsome local author (who runs with his unfortunate and much betrayed wife a retreat for aspiring writers). All the while she is idolised by the decent young lad with whom she grew up, Andy Cobb. The guitarist drifts away, the author gets his come-uppance bigtime and all is well at the end.
There are parallels with Hardy in character and situation but not at all in atmosphere. There are moments of genuine pathos in the film, particularly with Hardiment's wife Beth, but it is largely gently humorous, with absurd situations playing off each other to raise a smile. It is always watchable and often funny. On the level of pleasant entertainment, it succeeds.
The film is very well cast and very well made. Gemma Arterton, who has real screen presence, is excellent as Tamara. Roger Allam and Tamsin Greig as the Hardiments are absolutely right for their roles, and indeed Tamsin Greig is one of the big plusses of the film. Bill Camp, Dominic Cooper and Luke Evans are all fine as a kindly American writer, the smouldering guitarist and the decent Gabriel Oak figure. There has to be a special word for Jessica Barden, really first-rate as Jody, a star-struck fifteen-year-old whose adolescent interference sparks some important plot developments.... Read more ›
There are parallels with Hardy in character and situation but not at all in atmosphere. There are moments of genuine pathos in the film, particularly with Hardiment's wife Beth, but it is largely gently humorous, with absurd situations playing off each other to raise a smile. It is always watchable and often funny. On the level of pleasant entertainment, it succeeds.
The film is very well cast and very well made. Gemma Arterton, who has real screen presence, is excellent as Tamara. Roger Allam and Tamsin Greig as the Hardiments are absolutely right for their roles, and indeed Tamsin Greig is one of the big plusses of the film. Bill Camp, Dominic Cooper and Luke Evans are all fine as a kindly American writer, the smouldering guitarist and the decent Gabriel Oak figure. There has to be a special word for Jessica Barden, really first-rate as Jody, a star-struck fifteen-year-old whose adolescent interference sparks some important plot developments.... Read more ›
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By Andrea Smith
Format:DVD
After a promising start the film meanders off into a whirlwind of plots before wrapping up surprisingly sharply at the end. It is almost as if Frears acknowledged that the film was drifting off into nothing towards the middle and hastily injected a dramatic twist to save it. The cast is good and the acting hard to fault, although I can't shake off the feeling that the film tries to cram in too much and cover too many characters, flitting between all of them which makes it feel a bit more like a TV show than a film. In terms of genre I think it doesn't seem to know whether it wants to be a drama or a comedy and floats somewhere between the two. Ultimately it doesn't quite cut it as a comedy, although there are some amusing, witty lines in there. As far as the "romance" goes, the outcome is entirely predictable and thus a little disappointing.
This is not one of the best I've ever seen, not by a long shot, however the strong, realistic acting and the twist at the end, together with the odd chuckle the film elicits, just about keeps the viewer's attention throughout.
This is not one of the best I've ever seen, not by a long shot, however the strong, realistic acting and the twist at the end, together with the odd chuckle the film elicits, just about keeps the viewer's attention throughout.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
I can see why people have said 'wasted cast' and 'didn't he used to make good movies...' about this Stephen Frears film, but I think that's been a tad harsh. "Tamara Drew" is a rather lovely watch in what is currently a sea of sequels and sewage.
Gemma Arterton continues her rise as a truly British star - she is lucious, soft, and hugely watchable as the lead. The others are all great too and clearly had a laugh making the film in the gorgeous English countryside. The story's better than most, the dialogue is very, very witty in places and the two teenage girls almost nick the picture from the more experienced leads.
OK - it isn't "Love Actually", but it's better than 'The Rebound', 'The Back-Up Plan', 'It's Complicated' and all that insufferably smug rom-com crap that is thrown at us by Hollywood. I thought it had heart.
And it looks beautiful too on Blu Ray.
"Tamara Drew" (like "Wild Target" - see review) is a nice night in. I'd say give it a whirl and never underestimate a nosejob...
Gemma Arterton continues her rise as a truly British star - she is lucious, soft, and hugely watchable as the lead. The others are all great too and clearly had a laugh making the film in the gorgeous English countryside. The story's better than most, the dialogue is very, very witty in places and the two teenage girls almost nick the picture from the more experienced leads.
OK - it isn't "Love Actually", but it's better than 'The Rebound', 'The Back-Up Plan', 'It's Complicated' and all that insufferably smug rom-com crap that is thrown at us by Hollywood. I thought it had heart.
And it looks beautiful too on Blu Ray.
"Tamara Drew" (like "Wild Target" - see review) is a nice night in. I'd say give it a whirl and never underestimate a nosejob...
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3.9 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
What a poor film
I wish I had not purchased the film, it looked good on the trailers on other films, this however was a load of c***.
Published 1 month ago by A. V. Edgecombe
4.0 out of 5 stars
Girlie night in
Really enjoyed it. Funny and very much the girlie DVD. Great for doing the ironing to too. Worth buying it
Published 2 months ago by Mrs Julie A Terney
5.0 out of 5 stars
Greatly enjoyed
This is a hilariously shrewd observation of human behaviour, set in the glorious Dorset countyside that I know well. Read more
Published 2 months ago by A. Neal
1.0 out of 5 stars
Turned it off...Really, Really Bad
Bought this on Bluray as my partner really wanted to watch; she loves four weddings and films like that; settled down to enjoy; gave it over half an hour; I looked at her, she... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. Richard A. Millward
2.0 out of 5 stars
Daft
This is one of the daftest films I have ever seen centering on the coarseness and lack of any kind of sense of responsibility that is one of the saddest things about England today. Read more
Published 3 months ago by l.buckle
4.0 out of 5 stars
Strong female characters; funny and poignant.
Really enjoyed this film. It was a good combination of strong female characters and a reflection of what it is like to be a woman from teenager, twenties and middle age. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Jan Mellmann
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great British comedy
Based on Posy Simmonds' graphic novel, in turn a modern take on Far from the Madding Crowd, this film is an absolute joy. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Richard Ellis
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tamara Drewe (DVD)
Thoroughly enjoyed this movie and am very glad I bought it. It arrived very quickly and in perfect condition so no complaints at all.
Published 4 months ago by tamsin
1.0 out of 5 stars
Boring
Didn't like film thought it was boring and the characters irritating. Got fed up with it after afew minutes but saw it through as sometimes films get off to a dodgy start and get... Read more
Published 4 months ago by POTTY BEAGLE
3.0 out of 5 stars
Unexpected turn....
Bought this movie after watching it's trailer which is missing some of the twists of the movie.... Not a vey typical Eglish movie but quite good....
Published 5 months ago by O Kuznyetsova
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