Love in a Cold Climate

At Last, At Last!
In the winter of 1982 I was spellbound by the 8 part mini-series Love in a Cold Climate shown on Masterpiece Theater. I looked forward to seeing it again, but to my dismay it was never repeated and I had to rely only on my memories except for short clips on Youtube. Now at last it's born again as a DVD set, and I can barely wait to once again feast my eyes on it.

The mini-series combines Nancy Mitford's two companion novels The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate, both of which were published in the late 1940s and are the most autobiographical of all of her novels. The main and most compelling portions deal with the romantic vissisitudes of young Linda Radlett, daughter of the eccentric Lord Alconleigh and his vague but loving wife (ably played by Judi Dench). Linda longs for love, finding it first in a young but extremely dull banker, next in a dedicated Communist, and finally in an aristocratic French duke. Her cousin and best friend Fanny, the narrator of the...

THIS 405 min DVD wins over the earlier 150 min by 255 min
Compare 2 adaptations of Love in a Cold Climate? Both excellent, both should be viewed. Each combines the same two Nancy Mitford novels. Equally stellar casts. Both mime the novels: accurate in period detail, well written, provide popping emotion from humor to tragic, even using some book dialogue. Why opt for this new release? MORE! 255 minutes longer of delightful drama and interaction of 1930 romances.

Fanny is the key character telling the story. With a more common face, Isabelle Amyes is great in this long series, but I also love Rosamund Pike's arresting smile (short version.) Both are great stars doing a fantastic Fanny. In this l-o-n-g series Judi Dench (as Aunt Sadie) fans will swear by her perfection, rightly so. Keeping up with the Dench excellence is Davey Warbeck (by Michael Williams), and Uncle Matt (by Michael Aldridge). Cast comparisons could take forever.

SUBTITLES available for all 8 episodes:
~~~1 CHILD HUNT--1924
Young female...

Early Dench still eclipses fellow actors.
This series is a must for all Judi Dench fans. This woman out-acts nearly everyone else oncsreen.
An unusual 'almost biography' from one those infamous Mitford sisters. The early part with the girls as children is a little wooden but when they grow up the story really takes off so stick with it.
It's a rather campy tale of the lives of the wealthy and titled in 1920's-30's England with Judy Dench as mum.

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