49/35
Coincidentally, Aidan Turner previously filmed at Chavenage House (the Priory in Rivals)
Narrative
It follows Rupert Campbell-Black and Tony Baddingham as they have a long-running rivalry that comes to a head.
The same filming location was also used to depict Trenwith House in the 2015 BBC TV adaptation of Poldark
So, you all read the book an eons ago (it was like a ritual of growing up in a certain time and place) and TBH remember very little of it apart from the odd name (because some of the ones Jilly created were sooo de rigeur – Rupert Campbell Black does all the talking – and have somewhat passed into the lexicon), but I almost immediately started, if not remembering the plot in its entirety, you’ll get a synaptic image with the heady scent of YSL Opium watching Rivals.
His silly giggles instead of laughing out loud and cheeky rather than rude
He quickly built the world – the 80s, greedy Thatcherite old men and yuppies, bored women and scared warrior women, all treated like meat no matter what they do, concord, cigars and birdie, layers of English classes, the UK in a globalised world hammer nails into the top…
and the socio-political commentary, while not shoved in your face, is much clearer than when you read the books
Maybe it’s because I’m older and have met more people that Cooper’s critique of British culture is more obvious, but I think it’s also the cast, the accents, the costumes – drawing out each character’s habitus (to quote Bordeau) and presenting it to the audience for consideration, admiration, denigration and/or oppression.
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