Lillie (British TV mini-series)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: B-     Extras: D     Episodes: B-

 

 

Tales about women challenging the explicit oppressions of over a hundred years past have always made for great storytelling, especially when based on a real woman.  Lillie (1978) is a 13-part British mini-series that tells the story of Emile Le Breton (Francesca Annis), an attractive woman from the other Jersey, a British island.  She starts her life off with meager beginnings, only to take-off into the upper-class world as she becomes desired by the richest and most powerful men in the world.

 

She also finds herself struggling to find happiness and even turns into a celebrity beyond status when she becomes a hit stage actress.  This happens to require many trips back and fourth between the U.K. and the U.S. that broaden the scope of her life, but also seems to have her never catching up with the happier ending she deserves.  Part of the problem is no matter how successful, there are men still trying to control her life, ruin her, or simply do not see her better side.

 

This is another well-cast, well-acted mini-series form British TV’s last golden age, but despite telling an interesting story, gets bogged down in melodrama to some degree and has predictable moments or moments that feel like the kind or type “we have seen somewhere before” whether we can figure out where or not.  Anton Rogers, Dennis Hill, Peter Egan, Anthony Head (later of that long series of Taster’s Choice TV commercials) and Jennie Linden also star.

 

The full screen image is shot pretty much on professional analog PAL video throughout and shows its age, but the tapes are in good shape and that helps the current playback out.  There is good production design and costumes for such a series, which is another plus.  The sound is available in Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo with Pro Logic surrounds and even better in a decent 5.1 AC-3 mix that does a good job of reprocessing the original broadcast TV sound from a time when standards were usually not too great.  Except for stills and a cast filmography section on the fourth and final DVD, there are absolutely no extras.

 

When watching, I was reminded of the underrated Terence Davies’ adaptation of Edith Wharton’s The House Of Mirth (2000) with X-Files star Gillian Anderson as a very different Lillie.  Actually, Lily, as in Lily Bart.  She too is dealing with a battle against class and obstacles for happiness, all while refusing to compromise her principals.  Her fate and life are different, but there are many common denominators beyond the homonym name.  That was also a better two hours than any two or three shows here, though this is still very watchable.  It just moves somewhat slowly, and suspension of disbelief can be choppy.  Otherwise, Lillie is a good watch, as long as you do not have very high expectations.  This and many other hard-to-get British mini-series can be found can be found at www.goldhil.com for further details and how to order.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo