In This House of Brede

Rating:
Summary: --Beautiful Story--
Review: IN THIS HOUSE OF BREDE is based on the novel written by that most talented author, Rumer Godden. She's also the author of BLACK NARCISSUS, another great novel that was made into a wonderful film.

This movie begins when an attractive, well-dressed woman leaves her home and travels to an abbey. Phillipa Talbot (Diana Rigg) is a lady who has a successful career and a man who loves her, but is unhappy in that life, and enters the cloistered world of Benedictine nuns.

This is a beautiful production and Diana Rigg gives an outstanding performance as a very worldly and sophisticated person who chooses the religious life. The film is spellbinding and it's one of the few stories that really seem to take you into that unknown world where women become nuns. The relationships among the nuns and postulants were interesting and close friendships were not encouraged since everyone was to be loved equally. This story also shows how committed religious deal with their peers when jealousies arise and personalities are conflicted.

Yes, the book examines the characters more than the film, but that's always the case, and this is a marvelous production

Rating:
Summary: Missing Something
Review: Late one night, quite a few years ago, I saw this gem on the tube and enjoyed it so much, I vowed I'd eventually buy it. After reading the book (which is fantastic, if religious cloistered life, complex characters, and picturesque details interest you at all) I was motivated to see it again. After buying it, I found it to be all I remembered, and with the added texture provided by the book, the film was especially entertaining. I grew up with Avenger re-runs and was not surprised to see "Mrs. Peele" had lost none of her appeal in those regal habits.

Rating:
Summary: Dame Diana Rocks!
Review: Late one night, quite a few years ago, I saw this gem on the tube and enjoyed it so much, I vowed I'd eventually buy it. After reading the book (which is fantastic, if religious cloistered life, complex characters, and picturesque details interest you at all) I was motivated to see it again. After buying it, I found it to be all I remembered, and with the added texture provided by the book, the film was especially entertaining. I grew up with Avenger re-runs and was not surprised to see "Mrs. Peele" had lost none of her appeal in those regal habits.

Rating:
Summary: Well acted but script confusing
Review: The cast of players did a uniformly fine job of acting in this film, and the visual images of the monastery are lovely and very powerful. However, the plot line was very confusing, and neither the characters nor their relationships well-developed. Considering that the theme of learning to love was central, the puzzling and poorly drawn out depictions of the latter made everything seem haphazard.

Of course, one of the deficiencies from the beginning was that no real motive was given for Philippa's entrance to the monastery. Anyone with the smallest knowledge of convent life would know that neither Philippa's determined bluntness and superiority, let alone her clear expectation of preferential treatment, would be tolerated. Philippa seems to determine her own ways. Nor would the engaging Joanna's pleasant, if childish, ways be greeted with affection in a house of silence - for a postulant to even speak with a professed Sister is unlikely. There is no indication that Joanna's "adopting" Philippa as a "mother" is anything except innocent and sweet, yet meeting in "their spot" would never be tolerated, and Joanna's suddenly being cut off, without explanation, was beyond cruel.

If one knew the book well, and could have imagination fill in the blanks, this basically well-presented drama (which, sadly, becomes melodrama here and there) is enjoyable. However, it is very deficient in plot.

Rating:
Summary: Book turned into movie
Review: The movie gives a rare glimps into conventual life as it was practiced and still is for many contemplatives. The movie might seem slow to those who prefer movies like Leathal Weapon; however, conventual life is slow and repetative. I would say that the story might have been hard to follow if you never read the book. Even with that said, it is well acted and interesting if you like nuns.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Adaptation of the Book
Review: This originally aired on CBS and often when books are adapted they lose a lot. Fortunately this is not the case with BREDE. Diana Rigg is superb as a career woman who in later life chucks it all to join a Benedictine Abbey. She is ably supported by Gwen Watford, Pamela Brown and Judi Bowker. The scenes before she enters the Abbey are very very good.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Adaptation of the Book
Review: This originally aired on CBS and often when books are adapted they lose a lot. Fortunately this is not the case with BREDE. Diana Rigg is superb as a career woman who in later life chucks it all to join a Benedictine Abbey. She is ably supported by Gwen Watford, Pamela Brown and Judi Bowker. The scenes before she enters the Abbey are very very good.