Smartorhypo
Highly Overrated But Still Good
GarnettTeenage
The film was still a fun one that will make you laugh and have you leaving the theater feeling like you just stole something valuable and got away with it.
Lidia Draper
Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
Cassandra
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
SnoopyStyle
Maud Lilly (Elaine Cassidy) grew up in the Institute of the Insane after her mother's death. She is taken in by her cold-hearted uncle (Charles Dance) who keeps her under his control. She doesn't know that she stands to inherit a fortune if she gets married. Richard Rivers (Rupert Evans) is a con-man who has weaseled his way into her life looking to elope with Maud and then steal her inheritance. Her maid, who is his accomplice, gets replaced and he loses access. He hopes to hire Sue Trinder (Sally Hawkins) as part of the scheme by slipping her in as the new maid. Sue was left to Mrs. Sucksby (Imelda Staunton) as a baby. They lived in the shadow of the hangman's noose with pickpockets and thieves making a low living in the London slums. However it's a world of secrets, double-crosses and hidden history.Sally Hawkins and Imelda Staunton are the best actors around and they don't disappoint. Elaine Cassidy starts out as a naive innocent and her turn is effectively done. The turn is shocking for people who haven't read the novel and it's lots of fun. The constant stream of reveals does get a bit tiring and the first half can be a bit slow. However this is still very watchable from start to finish.
Irishchatter
During the beginning, I thought it was so unfair to sent young Mrs Lilly to her horrible creepy uncle.That scene reminded me of Jane Eyre when she was send to Lowood School as a young girl.In those days you were either sent to a close family member or a boarding school which was quite tough and extremely sad that you had no parents to rely on! I have to admit Charles Dance really did a good job on acting as a tough uncle haha!As we move on, we are introduced to Fingersmith Sue and not-a- fiancée-material type Gentlemen Rivers. I think it was so cruel that he made a bet with Sue to give her lots of money if he marries Maud Lilly and send her off to a mental asylum like her mother. I mean like come on, the girl went through hell of not having parents by her side like! No sympathy whatsoever from that man!Thankfully Sue didn't let that happen by loving Mrs Lilly even more and I found that very touching! I honestly think that the pair of them should've got married as they were such an adorable couple :)
madcardinal
"Fingersmith" is divided into two episodes, and it is truly a hit and miss film. While watching the first episode, I thought I was experiencing one of the finest films ever made - it developed like a Dickensian novella courageously and poetically weaving a tale of lesbian love. Until just before the end of the first episode, I was fully expecting to give "Fingersmith" my highest recommendation.The organic kernel of the movie - as presented in the summary on this web site - is superb and of the highest quality. The movie goes off the tracks, however, at the very end of the first episode and never really gets back on track after that. There are too many plot twists which stretch the viewer's capability for suspension of disbelief past the breaking point. The film becomes much too impressed with its own cleverness and the second episode just feels inauthentic and overly contrived. It's almost an insult to the viewer's intelligence and a betrayal of the time so well invested up to that point. It also robs the film of its crux and primary dilemma, namely, after wrestling with her powerful feelings of love, her past loyalties and moral and ethical considerations, what decision will Sue Trinder make regarding the plan to defraud Maud? There's no doubt about it, simpler would have been much much better in this case. Nine stars for the first episode. One star for the second episode. Five stars overall. This could have been so much better.
sucksby
BBC's 3 hour adaptation of the novel by Sarah Waters..."Fingersmith". Life is tough without money, especially in Dickensian London. Dark deeds lead to despicable dilemmas.Is love really just a luxury for the rich and free ?? Elaine Cassidy as "Maud Lilly" and Sally Hawkins as "Sue Trinder" both give fantastic performances as the leading ladies asking this question ... OF EACH OTHER ...whilst Rupert Evans shines as the delightfully bad "Gentleman".. with great support from Imelda Staunton's "Mrs Sucksby", David Troughton's "Mr Ibbs" and Charles Dance's "Uncle". The plot twists and turns and I wasn't sure I could be led to care about characters able to hurt and use each other in this way... but somehow.. i do care... and thats because of the quality of the performances... love feels like love .. hate feels like hate... betrayal .. confusion.. well hopefully you get the idea and hopefully you will get the DVD and enjoy.( Elaine Cassidy is just great in this.. gorgeous in fact.... i have to declare i am in her fan club... Hi Elaine : )