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109 of 112 found the following review helpful:
 A Novel Glimpse Into Victorian England - A Superb MiniseriesAug 01, 2004
By Jana L. Perskie
"ceruleana"
I loved Sarah Waters's novel, "Tipping the Velvet." Director Geoffrey Sax and screenwriter Andrew Davies have captured beautifully and vividly the novel's characters, storyline and the remarkable setting of a Victorian England that few have glimpsed. I say BRAVO! I am usually skeptical about movies made from books. This one is the exception to the rule.
Nancy Astley, (Rachael Stir), was born and raised in an English seaside resort, Whitstable, where her parents own an oyster restaurant, and Nan can shuck with the best of them. She seems perfectly content with her lot in life, loves her family and imagines that someday she will marry one of the neighborhood boys and have a family of her own. When the Astley family is invited to a perfomance at the town's music-hall, Passion, (with a capital "P"), enters Nan's life for the first time. She sees a beautiful male impersonator perform at the hall. Not just any male impersonator...but the ever so seductive Miss Kitty Butler, (Keeley Hawes). Nan is entranced and obsessed with Kitty. She longs to meet the object of her devotion and becomes first, Kitty's friend, then her employee/dresser. Her once normal life is turned topsy-turvy, filled with passionate fantasies. The Astley family is delighted with Kitty "the celebrity" friend. However, Alice, Nancy's sister, and until recently her best friend, is hostile and suspicious of the relationship between her sister and the performer.
When Kitty is offered a prime London music-hall gig through her manager, Mr. Bliss, she takes Nan with her. The two live together, sharing a room, a bed, love and sex, and eventually the stage, as Nan is successfully incorporated into Kitty's act - as another male impersonator. Our heroine loses her innocence in the big city, in more ways than one. Adventure, disillusionment and major heartbreak loom on the horizon for our Nan - until she finds herself reaching rock bottom. If you don't know what "rock bottom," sometimes called "the pits," is in Victorian England, you may want to reread Dickens.
It takes years for Nancy to climb out of the pit she fell into, (or was she pushed?), and fashion a life for herself. Her attempts to earn a living wage are outrageous, fascinating and ingenious. The folks she meets along the way are absolute originals. The take on London's local color, sexual and socialist politics, and social and sexual mores are delicious.
This is one of the best BBC mini-series that I have seen. The characters are extremely well cast, really three-dimensional. The acting is superb. The lesbian love scenes are extremely erotic and tasteful. But don't shy away from this series, or be drawn to it, because of the lesbian content. This film is much more than a story about women who prefer women. I can't recommend it highly enough. And be sure to read the book too! ENJOY!!
JANA
56 of 58 found the following review helpful:
A Sort Of Pride & Prejudice With "Naughty Bits"...Jul 21, 2004
By Sheila Chilcote-Collins
"Sheila Renee Chilcote-Collins"
"A Sort Of Pride & Prejudice With "Naughty Bits"..." so says Andrew Davies, the screenwriter of "Tipping The Velvet", whilst adapting Sarah Walter's debut novel as he describes the smashing success of the BBC made for TV series.
"But I didn't want to be her sister, I wanted to be her sweetheart!" so says Nan Astley, played beautifully & naively sweet by Emma Peel/Diana Rigg's real-life daughter, Rachel Stirling, of her first love, an actress of sorts, Kitty Butler, played by Keeley Hawes. Kitty's act is quite an odd one at the turn of the 20th century. Kitty dresses and acts on stage as a boy, even cutting her hair! How shameful in the day and age this novel and series is set in.
"Tipping The Velvet" has been described as a lesbian historical piece but it is MUCH more than that. When you think of the Victorian era you think of stuffiness and of course, an element of great sexual repression but it must be remembered that during this time, women really moved from the passive to agressive; seeking their own ideals, life and pleasures that lie therein. This was the time of suffrage and Victorian women were coming into their own, with increased freedoms of all kinds, power, education and above all, just plain fun!
And since Queen Victoria famously refused to admit lesbians even existed, young women like the Nan, Florence and Kitty's of the Victorian world were safe from being jailed unlike their male counterparts...
Also in the cast is Anna Chancellor ("Duckface" in Four Weddings & A Funeral) as Diana Leatherby, a sadomasochistic & exhibitionistic lover, and Jodhi May (Sister, My Sister & The House Of Mirth) as the kind, sweet and generous Florence.
I am not going to lie. There are some very dicey scenes in this made for TV series that won't be to all people's liking, but if you have an open mind, can look beyond just a person's sexuality and see the truth and good in people, then you will enjoy this film as I did.
Highly Recommended For The Indiscriminate...
50 of 52 found the following review helpful:
BBC and Victorian England at Their Best!Feb 04, 2004
By Dorian M.
We all know that a great book hardly ever translates well onto screen because no amount of screen time can compete with the magical words of a talented author and the wonders of your own imagination. And having yet to read the book, I was cautious about watching the mini-series first. Book or DVD first? I couldn't stand the suspense so the DVD won out. Right off the bat, and not a moment too soon, I was sucked into the fantabulous life and loves of Nan Astley (Rachel Stirling, daughter of 1960's 'Avengers' series star, Dianna Rigg).
This marvelous tale begins on the calm shores of 1890's Victorian England and quickly moves to the theater-world of London. What is revealed, however, is bound to surprise you because no one's quite painted THIS picture of Victorian England--until now! The series is filled with unforgettable characters, unbelievably touching moments (which you'll watch over & over), sumptuous costumes, beautiful leads, great humor, terrific drama, and not a moment of boredom. And A+ on many levels for BBC, including their unabashed support of the subject matter.
This is a single-DVD product with the following bonus features: 3 complete episodes (178 minutes, as originally aired on BBC-UK, different from the 'edited' version shown on BBC-America); an interview with author Sarah Waters & screenwriter Andrew Davies (of 'Bridget Jones' Diary'); a slide-show photo gallery; and, a cast list of selected works. Though lengthy for a BBC production and not long enough to satiate the most greedy of us, you'll no doubt watch the nearly 3-hours mini-series in one sitting. Word to the wise: don't pop this in on a week night or you'll face a very tired morning-after at work! It gets 5-stars for its subject matter, acting, costumes, script, music, and it's replay value.
Buy this and enjoy. I'm off to finally read the book!
**UPDATE!** February 17, 2004---I JUST finished reading the entire book last night and wanted to add info in comparing the book and this mini-series. One word: Bravo! While there certainly are differences in translation from book to screen, with some artistic license taken by Andrew Davies (screenwriter) to bring the movie full-circle towards the end, you will finish off the book with a little regret that it's all over, but gladly revisit it on-screen because the two mediums are happily alike! If you have no idea what I'm talking about, read the book and watch the DVD! I cannot imagine that anyone pleased with the book will be unhappy with this mini-series, because the script stays true to nearly 95% of the entire text. In fact, some of the scenes in the book and movie (such as the dialogue) are so similar that you'll find your eyes racing across the pages of the book, knowing what you'll be reading next - and not being able to read fast enough to get there! How can you fault that? If you are disappointed with the movie after having read the book, however...well, you can't please everyone all the time. ;) The book and the movie make a wonderful combo for someone who loves period fiction, has an interest in the subject matter, and/or is a fan of the book's author. HIGHLY recommend this mini-series! But DO read the book; it's a real pleasure to spend hours on end reading about Nan, Kitty, Diana, and the lot. You will NOT be disappointed with any of it - not one bit!
16 of 16 found the following review helpful:
watch it and rewatch it! its fantastic!Apr 29, 2004
i saw the BBC series on television nearly a year before i read the book. unfortunatley i watched the entire series with my pearents (not advisable) and spent most of my time cringing with embarrasment! Having said that tipping the velvet deals frankly yet sensitivley with the sex scenes in the series. the scenes remained steamy without becoming pornographicand even my perents were not offended by it! i absoulutley loved this film, i watched it over and over again for weeks. The ONLY down side to this otherwise fantastic DVD is that the scenery is rather poor towards the end (to anyone whos seen it think of the scene on the bridge!) and the same actors occasionly pop up playing different charecters! but thats BBC drama for you! All in all this is must have movie for any body who enjoys a good love story and a selection of heart warming charecters and catchy show tunes (from the geougous keely hawks as kitty butler!) for me the lesbian theme is simply the icing on the cake! PS. Read the book too! sarah walters has written a lesbian masterpeice! it is (if possible) better than the film! if like me you have watched the film before reading the book youll find yourself recognising moments from the film and knowing what is about to happen next! I found myself almost willing myself to read faster to get to my favorite parts of the story! dont buy one without the other! get the book and the DVD and u wont be sorry i promise!
12 of 12 found the following review helpful:
A Masterpiece!Aug 28, 2005
By Drake-by-the-Lake
"movie critic"
I find nothing to dislike about this BBC production in three one-hour parts. Which is rare, for me. Usually I can dis at least a minor detail in a movie. Well, ok: I dislike that the show ended after "only" three hours. I would have preferred a neverending saga. Yes, "Tipping the Velvet" is THAT good: after three hours, this cynical critic is left wanting MORE.
Rachael Stirling is utterly perfect in the leading role. No one on Earth could have done a better job. She is passionate and speaks straight from the heart with bravery and truth and hope: a heroine such as we seldom see. She has a knack for imbuing her voice with that extra something which implies, oh so much emotion and truth. I have indeed scouted out other movies with this extremely talented genius. Stirling has led me into the excellent "Poirot" series, simply because she happened to star in one episode (with another excellent performance).
"Tipping the Velvet" is light years above "The 'L' Word," and even "Queer as Folk." More so, if you love period pieces, as I do, that explore times past. Use vehicles like this as a time machine and find out how your great-grandmothers and grandfathers lived. How can anyone not be interested in history, which tells us what we were, and helps us understand the present and predict the future?
An exhilarating, uplifting, glorious life that will make you believe, once again, in the majesty of the human animal. Recommended! Regardless of your sexuality, gender or anything--this is a very human story which transcends all boundaries.
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