Rating: 
Summary: The BBC version is no more the original than this one!
Review: One of the previous reviewers presents a significant factual error in their review of this production of "The Forsyte Saga." The 1960s BBC production is not by any means the "original." It wasn't even the first filming of the story (1949's "That Foryste Woman" with Errol Flynn may have that distinction). The original version is John Galsworthy's writing. Bearing that in mind, this rendition of the saga is a perfectly valid and entertaining one. Saying that the current version is forced to resort to prurient interest to attract an audience also ignores that portraying Soames' rape of his wife in the 1960s production in no small part contributed to that version's attracting an audeince. This current version deserves to be discussed on its own (not inconsiderable) merits, not turned into a whipping boy just to puff up the 1960s BBC verison, which (while it may be superior in some respects) is not quite as great as some would make it out to be. The current version has a fine cast of actors (young and experienced alike) and is done with good spirit. It's a fine entertainment, well worth a few hours of your time.
Rating: 
Summary: a classic romance
Review: The Forsyte Saga's are incredible! I have only watched the first 2 hours of the 2nd one, but I am addicted. I think that if you are a horrible romantic, this is the perfect movie for you. It is set in 1920's England, and revolves around a "once prestigious" family that has been split by feud and heartbreak; not to mention affairs, war, and gambling being some of the other factors. I can't wait to see what happens next!
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Galsworthy!!
Review: The recent dramatization of the "Forsyte Saga," and especially Part 2, makes it obvious that people who produce films for TV these days have a very low opinion of the audience. If you don't fill the thing with sex and violence, no one will watch it. There are people who dispute whether Galsworthy should have gotten the Nobel Prize for literature, but no one ever disputed the fact that he could turn out a good story, and his Forsyte novels had plenty of sex and violence simmering beneath the surface. The original "Forsyte Saga" has all the elements of a good old-fashioned page-turner, so why leave most of it out and invent material that is 100% worse than what Galsworthy wrote in the first place?"The Forsyte Saga" Part 1 suffered from a poor adaptation to the screen, serious miscasting of the main characters, and tatty costumes and sets. "The Forsyte Saga," Part 2, is worse. Apparently the writers felt that no one in the 21st century could possibly accept the chaste romance between Jon and Fleur Forsyte, so they heated it up for the modern viewer, while making nonsense of Galsworthy's story. In the novels, Jon Forsyte was such an innocent and idealist that he confounded the self-centered and possessive Fleur. In this film, however, he has sex with Fleur (on the day of his father's funeral service, no less!), then breaks off his relationship because he wants to honor his dead father's wishes. Where is the innocent idealist now? And Fleur, whose main faults were being spoiled, possessive, and calculating, pursues Jon relentlessly and entices him into a sexual relationship to catch him once and for all. It's no wonder that this Fleur, when faced with rejection, ends up bawling like a wounded cow on the lawn at Robin Hill. If an author can be made to turn in his grave, Galsworthy must certainly have been spinning then! But why stop there? Why turn Young Jolyon from a long-suffering monument to tolerance, whose family's indecision put him into the grave, into a tottering old fool who chews up the carpet in nearly every scene? Why is Soames Forsyte's devotion to his only daughter presented as faintly incestuous? Why does Soames have to nearly rape Irene for a second time, then more or less reconcile with her at the end and leave Robin Hill with a jaunty stride and a satisfied smile? Whose story is this anyhow? It's almost impossible to evaluate the acting in the film because the tasteless story defeats the actors from the beginning. However, no one seems to age appropriately in the 20 years between Part 1 and Part 2 except Young Jolyon (Rupert Graves), who looks like a little boy playing dress-up in his grandfather's clothes. Emma Griffiths Malin does her best with the role of Fleur, but looks much too mature in comparison with Lee Williams as a very youthful Jon. Damien Lewis's Soames still looks as if he is about to suffer an apoplexy at any moment. Gina McKee is more convincing as the older Irene than in Part 1, but most of what she says and does has no relationship to the novels. Oliver Milburn makes an attractive Michael Mont, but his role is so abbreviated that it is a mystery why Fleur would think to turn to him on the rebound from Jon. If you want to experience "The Forsyte Saga" at its best, you should read the novels, at least the first trilogy, which forms the basis for the 2 parts of this TV adaptation. If you'd rather watch the story on TV, get the original 1967 BBC series, which, despite its dated production values and not being shot in color, is faithful to Galsworthy's story and presents a compelling, well-acted drama. If you really want to see this version of "The Forsyte Saga," do yourself a favor and rent it. These films are not "keepers."
Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: This installment bears no resemblance to Galsworthy's novel. The casting of major characters is abysmal--the actors playing Irene and Jolyon in particular appear much too young even with aging makeup. Jolyon is supposed to be twelve years older than Irene and in his seventies when he dies. The actor in this adaptation looks barely forty-five. Gina McKee is totally miscast as Irene. Irene in the novel is elegant, reserved, mysterious--an incredible beauty with regal posture, dark gold hair, and deep brown eyes. McKee is thin, coltish, stoop-shouldered with prominent teeth and squinty blue eyes. It is impossible to associate her in any way with Galsworthy's Irene. The old BBC production is much more faithful. If you've read the book, this new version will be a major disappointment.
Rating:
Summary: A continuation of a most fabulous DVD series ever ..
Review: This two disc six hour story is a continuation of series one and brings in the children of the two main characters, Soames and Ireene ..... The main characters of the first series do not disappear, and this series two is not a rehash of what happend to the parents but a continuation of the saga. Why the publishers decided to split this into two series is totally beyond me since I can't imgine buying the second series and asking a million complicated and intricate question of who what when and where ... So don't do it buy both Series one and two and follow the story ... Enclosed is a review I wrote for the Series one of this fabulous DVD set Series One: DVD series with 2 espisodes per disc, a full 'nine' hour story was so exciting that my wife and I we had a veritable group show up at the house demanding that we can't finish the series without them being there to witness and enjoy every moment ..... And that's what happened, we not only went through the nine hours of Series one but also the more than 6 hours of Series two making it a FABULOUS weekend of 15 hours of exiting, thoughtfull, thrilling and tender stories of love, hate, revenege and posession ..... Trust me you are talking to a guy that falls asleep in most of today's movie theaters after the first half hour so for me to hang in there for a full 15 hourse makes this and absolute MUST recommendation to purchase for your DVD collection.... Oddy enough, I do however think that women from ages 19 and up will gobble up the love stories of the Forsythe saga while the men however MUST be at least 35 years old or older. I guess it has something to do with a lack of violence and explicit gratuitous sex, so, I suggest that you get a DVD of 'Kill Bill Vol1' and have them watch that in another room over and over .... OK I'm not going to go into the story or more details in this review since much has already been written about this famous series ... suffice it to say that I certainly identified with the plight of one of the main characters, Soames, the wealthy Forsyth that marries Ireene, a beutifull young woman that does not love him. Thats the devilishness of the story, he suffers for the love of a woman he can't posess while she suffers for the love of men that get taken away from her...... WOW this is the best EVER in DVD and it will deliciously blow away a weekend with you, your friends and significant others ....
Rating:
Summary: McKee is Sensational...
Review: Those familiar with the first "Forsyte Saga" needs no introduction to "Forsyte Saga: To Let" which is based on John Galsworthy's novel. I admit that I have not read Galsworthy's novel but I certainly enjoyed this series as well as series 1. I will then review this dvd based on its own merit and without making comparisons to the novel. One of the major strengths of "To Let" is that it doesn't depend on "Forsyte Saga Series 1" (which I shall refer to "Series 1" hereafter) for audiences to understand and embrace it. Familiarity with the characters of Series 1 certainly helps but a novice will take no time in getting absorbed with the story as it unfolds. The strength of the screenplay is that it doesn't talk down to the audience but it also takes its time in introducing (or re-introducing) the varied characters from Series 1 (as well as a few newcomers). Soames and Annette Forsyte's daughter, Fleur, is now an indulged, strong-willed yet charming young woman. Young Jolyon and Irene Forsyte's son, Jon, is now a handsome, sensitive and artistic young man. The two meet and fall madly in love - much to the dismay and disapproval of their parents. "To Let" centers on these young lovers as well as the dramatic lives of their affluent and proud families - Soames' long-standing feud with Jolyon and Irene; Soames and Annette's strained relationship; Annette and her sister-in-law Winifred's fascination with the Belgian playboy Prosper Prufond; and the dynamics of these relationships make for a compelling viewing. Like its predecessor, "To Let" possesses the high production values, fabulous locations, excellent acting and compelling storyline that made Series 1 a hit with fans. Though produced by ITV, it has all the excellent production values that you would expect from a BBC series. Rupert Graves (Young Jolyon), Gina McKee (Irene) and Damian Lewis (Soames) continue their excellent work from Series 1. New additions Emma Griffiths Malin (Fleur) and Lee Williams (adorable as Jon) turn in pitch perfect performances as the young lovers. I disagree with an earlier review that classifies Fleur as a "spoiled brat, completely selfish and incredibly manipulative." On the contrary, I found Fleur to be rather likeable, sweet and even sympathetic. She is ultimately a resourceful young woman who knows what she wants and goes for it. She is also very much in love with Jon. I also enjoyed the casting of Oliver Milburn (Michael Mont) whom I admired as Angel Clare in the equally excellent tv series "Tess of D'Urbervilles" (starring Justine Waddell). One of the great advantages of Series 2 is the return of all of the principal actors from Series 1 (including Amanda Root as Winifred, Ben Miles as Montague Dartie and Julian Ovenden as Val Dartie). In short, I would recommend this DVD to anyone who enjoys excellent British drama. "To Let" is an engrossing British soap opera based on the 1920's that deals with such universal themes of love, hate, forgiveness, greed, passion and possession. I would rate the series 5-stars but only give 4-stars due to the lack of dvd special features.
Rating: 
Summary: Top notch British drama. Highly recommended.
Review: Those familiar with the first "Forsyte Saga" needs no introduction to "Forsyte Saga: To Let" which is based on John Galsworthy's novel. I admit that I have not read Galsworthy's novel but I certainly enjoyed this series as well as series 1. I will then review this dvd based on its own merit and without making comparisons to the novel. One of the major strengths of "To Let" is that it doesn't depend on "Forsyte Saga Series 1" (which I shall refer to "Series 1" hereafter) for audiences to understand and embrace it. Familiarity with the characters of Series 1 certainly helps but a novice will take no time in getting absorbed with the story as it unfolds. The strength of the screenplay is that it doesn't talk down to the audience but it also takes its time in introducing (or re-introducing) the varied characters from Series 1 (as well as a few newcomers). Soames and Annette Forsyte's daughter, Fleur, is now an indulged, strong-willed yet charming young woman. Young Jolyon and Irene Forsyte's son, Jon, is now a handsome, sensitive and artistic young man. The two meet and fall madly in love - much to the dismay and disapproval of their parents. "To Let" centers on these young lovers as well as the dramatic lives of their affluent and proud families - Soames' long-standing feud with Jolyon and Irene; Soames and Annette's strained relationship; Annette and her sister-in-law Winifred's fascination with the Belgian playboy Prosper Prufond; and the dynamics of these relationships make for a compelling viewing. Like its predecessor, "To Let" possesses the high production values, fabulous locations, excellent acting and compelling storyline that made Series 1 a hit with fans. Though produced by ITV, it has all the excellent production values that you would expect from a BBC series. Rupert Graves (Young Jolyon), Gina McKee (Irene) and Damian Lewis (Soames) continue their excellent work from Series 1. New additions Emma Griffiths Malin (Fleur) and Lee Williams (adorable as Jon) turn in pitch perfect performances as the young lovers. I disagree with an earlier review that classifies Fleur as a "spoiled brat, completely selfish and incredibly manipulative." On the contrary, I found Fleur to be rather likeable, sweet and even sympathetic. She is ultimately a resourceful young woman who knows what she wants and goes for it. She is also very much in love with Jon. I also enjoyed the casting of Oliver Milburn (Michael Mont) whom I admired as Angel Clare in the equally excellent tv series "Tess of D'Urbervilles" (starring Justine Waddell). One of the great advantages of Series 2 is the return of all of the principal actors from Series 1 (including Amanda Root as Winifred, Ben Miles as Montague Dartie and Julian Ovenden as Val Dartie). In short, I would recommend this DVD to anyone who enjoys excellent British drama. "To Let" is an engrossing British soap opera based on the 1920's that deals with such universal themes of love, hate, forgiveness, greed, passion and possession. I would rate the series 5-stars but only give 4-stars due to the lack of dvd special features.
Rating:
Summary: Sadly, not as good as the first series.
Review: Unlike other viewers, I don't mind when TV and movie adaptations are different from the books they are based on. As long as the CHARACTERS are not completely unrecognizable! Jon and Fleur are presented as Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers. They weren't. In the books, it's made clear that like her father, Fleur is too selfish and possessive to be happy. Jon had doubts about her even before Soames came by and wrecked it. A few points that they got completely wrong: June did not hate Fleur. She felt rather sorry for the girl. In fact, June visited Fleur on her wedding day to wish her luck. Jon left the country to get on with his life after breaking off with Fleur. He did NOT wait around pining, or try to stop her from marrying Michael out of possessiveness. In fact, he sent her a letter with good wishes. Fleur held on to Jon's memory obsessively. Soames would NEVER have told Fleur about his rape of Irene. He was a Victorian. Not only would he not have spoken to his daughter about sexual matters, he never thought that he had done anything wrong. Irene was his wife back then, so it wasn't rape. Soames did not make peace with Irene directly. She left the country a few weeks after Fleur's wedding. They saw one another and she waved goodbye. A few points they got right. Fleur's "having nature". Annette's observation that Soames was ruining their daughter was right on the mark. I enjoyed Annette's characterization. The book shows very little of her interacting with her daughter. The scene with Soames and Irene. Some people complained about that. But the fact is, for the rest of his life, Soames continued to think of Irene as the cause of all his troubles. Fleur's hysteria when she realized that Jon was not coming to her. No, she didn't make a scene at Robin Hill in the original. When Soames came back home and told her that Jon had told him that it was "no good", she screamed at HIM, telling him that he had betrayed her. (Because for the first time in her life, Soames had failed to give her exactly what she wanted. It never occurred to her that he simply couldn't.)
Rating:
Summary: What Did They Do to My Galsworthy...again?
Review: What a disappointment is Series 2 of Granada Televison's production of "The Forsyte Saga", based upon John Galsworthy's novel "To Let." Again, it is as though the producers and writers at Granada never read more than an outline of Galworthy's complex and richly detailed works. This time they were not content to make minor alterations to the plot....no, only a meat cleaver was good enough for the writers who adapted "To Let" for the screen. The film opens with a scene that never took place in the novel, where pre-teens Jon Forsyte (son of Young Jolyn & Irene) and Fleur (daughter of Soames and Annette) meet and are instantly fast friends, in the way that children do. Seeing his daughter and the son of Jolyn & Irene (his sworn enemies) playing in the garden turns Soames into a raving monster who in his rage almost strikes Jon. Damian Lewis as Soames frequently appears to be foaming at the mouth when ever he becomes angry...the scenery must have been in constant danger during the filming of this production. Other equally strange liberties were taken with the book, including Jon and Fleur making love right after his father's funeral, and a reconciliation of sorts between Soames and Irene that concludes Series 2 and which never happened in the books. Now, as to the more positive aspects of the production: Gena McKee was not nearly as annoying as the middle aged Irene as she was in Series 1, when she was supposed to be a young woman possessing a fatal beauty that attracted all men into her orbit. Her character was warmer and more sympathetic than in the first series. Rupert Graves was an excellent Young Jolyn, wise, loving, and scared of what would happen to his family upon his death. I thought Emma Griffiths Malin was a more-than-adequate Fleur, although she could not quite get the same subtle emotions across as did Susan Hampshire in the 1969 production of "To Let." The character of Michael Mont was as charming and appealing in this version as it was in the original, but Lee Williams as Jon left much to be desired IMO, somewhat due to his too youthful appearance. This series gave us more insight into the relationship between Soames and Annette than did the original production, which was one case of the new series being more faithful to the book than was the 1969 version, where Annette simply disappeared never to be seen again after her relationship with Profond was discovered. However, that alone cannot make up for a deeply flawed script and the over-the-top acting of Damien Lewis. I really feel Mr Lewis could have benefited by watching the original Soames, the great Eric Porter, who had most viewers eating out of his hand by the end of the 26 episodes of the 1969 series. I hardly think that will be the case here.
Rating:
Summary: What Did They Do to My Galsworthy...again?
Review: What a disappointment is Series 2 of Granada Televison's production of "The Forsyte Saga", based upon John Galsworthy's novel "To Let." Again, it is as though the producers and writers at Granada never read more than an outline of Galworthy's complex and richly detailed works. This time they were not content to make minor alterations to the plot....no, only a meat cleaver was good enough for the writers who adapted "To Let" for the screen. The film opens with a scene that never took place in the novel, where pre-teens Jon Forsyte (son of Young Jolyn & Irene) and Fleur (daughter of Soames and Annette) meet and are instantly fast friends, in the way that children do. Seeing his daughter and the son of Jolyn & Irene (his sworn enemies) playing in the garden turns Soames into a raving monster who in his rage almost strikes Jon. Damian Lewis as Soames frequently appears to be foaming at the mouth when ever he becomes angry...the scenery must have been in constant danger during the filming of this production. Other equally strange liberties were taken with the book, including Jon and Fleur making love right after his father's funeral, and a reconciliation of sorts between Soames and Irene that concludes Series 2 and which never happened in the books. Now, as to the more positive aspects of the production: Gena McKee was not nearly as annoying as the middle aged Irene as she was in Series 1, when she was supposed to be a young woman possessing a fatal beauty that attracted all men into her orbit. Her character was warmer and more sympathetic than in the first series. Rupert Graves was an excellent Young Jolyn, wise, loving, and scared of what would happen to his family upon his death. I thought Emma Griffiths Malin was a more-than-adequate Fleur, although she could not quite get the same subtle emotions across as did Susan Hampshire in the 1969 production of "To Let." The character of Michael Mont was as charming and appealing in this version as it was in the original, but Lee Williams as Jon left much to be desired IMO, somewhat due to his too youthful appearance. This series gave us more insight into the relationship between Soames and Annette than did the original production, which was one case of the new series being more faithful to the book than was the 1969 version, where Annette simply disappeared never to be seen again after her relationship with Profond was discovered. However, that alone cannot make up for a deeply flawed script and the over-the-top acting of Damien Lewis. I really feel Mr Lewis could have benefited by watching the original Soames, the great Eric Porter, who had most viewers eating out of his hand by the end of the 26 episodes of the 1969 series. I hardly think that will be the case here.
| 
