41/14
Plot
Follows Rupert Campbell-Black and Tony Baddingham as they have a long-running rivalry that comes to a head. Coincidentally, Aidan Turner previously filmed at Chavenage House (The Priory in Rivals). The same location was also used to represent Trenwith House in the BBC’s 2015 TV adaptation of Poldark. I’m not surprised by the film’s incredibly superficial ‘whining’ of some, “wah wah, Rupert Campbell-Black was blond and blue-eyed.” Well, when I first saw Alex Hassell, I couldn’t believe those eyes, and how he carried this undercurrent that would bury RCB. It’s an extremely well-acted cast and, as a fan of all of Jilly’s books for 40 years, I have no problem with Mr Hassell. His eyes are beyond any idea I could have had of who could play Rupert. And that’s a remarkable thing for someone to achieve, when the idea of who RCB is, what he looks like and how he behaves, was so ingrained. Well done… I bet Jilly is happy!