Love In A Cold Climate (British Mini-Series)

 

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

 

 

As a very slight deviation from the seemingly non-stop British TV dramas about the way the country was before World War II, Love In A Cold Climate (2000) actually begins before World War I, then goes all the way through to the end of the second world war.  Though Rosamund Pike (wasted in the James Bond film Die Another Day) and Celia Imrie are very convincing as friends who laugh, suffer and try to survive through it all, it lands up becoming the same old predictable story.

 

I give it points for its wit at time and its ability to be a bit politically incorrect, honest and dark, but this ultimately becomes too melodramatic by the end that anything it did that was more interesting or original was swept aside by formula and other tired British TV conventions when all was said and done.  You can at least watch for the early parts.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 16 X 9/1.78 X 1 image is softer and less detailed than expected, with some color poor moments.  The production itself is nice looking, but it is more interesting in the first half.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo has enough Pro Logic surrounds to enjoy and the combination is not bad.  Extras are text cast filmographies, production notes and text biography of author Nancy Milford, who wrote the book this two-parter (running 155 minutes) is based.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo