Paradise Postponed/ Titmuss Regained

About The Film

Info

Directed By	Alvin Rakoff, Martyn Friend
Screen Writer	John Mortimer
Actors	Paul Shelley, David Threlfall, Michael Hordern, Annette Crosbie, Peter Egan
Genre	Drama
Run Time	741 minutes
Release Date	October 6, 2009
Studio	Acorn Media

A gripping family saga from RUMPOLE creator John Mortimer. As seen on Masterpiece Theatre.

Leslie Titmuss (David Threlfall) has never quite fit in among the denizens of Rapstone village. Socially awkward and hailing from a humble background, he nonetheless aspires to the highest levels of society – and he’s prepared to do whatever it takes to get there.

For much of his life, Titmuss was taken under the wing of the kindly Reverend Simcox (Michael Hordern). This caused little concern for the clergyman’s sons, Henry (Peter Egan) and Fred (Paul Shelley). But when their father dies, they have every reason to complain: he has willed the family fortune to Titmuss.

Was he mad? Or is there a darker explanation? Follow the families’ interwoven histories from the years after WWII to the height of the Thatcher era. Nominated for four BAFTAs, PARADISE POSTPONED (1986) and its sequel TITMUSS REGAINED (1991), also star Kristin Scott Thomas, Annette Crosbie, and Zoe Wanamaker.

DVD Features include biography of author John Mortimer and cast filmographies.

EI Editor Review

Editor reviews

Rating:

3.0

Not Quite Paradise.

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful

User Review

User Reviews

Reviewed by Jon Ted Wynne

There is one overwhelming reason to watch PARADISE POSTPONED: Michael Hordern. As Reverend Simcox, the bumbling, eccentric, kindly but secretive clergyman, Hordern reminds the viewer why he was one of the giants of English acting in the 20th-Century.

The main characters and story arc of this compelling (but very long!) series is put forth in the product description. Being a John Mortimer creation (he adapted it from his own novel) there is ample wit in the dialogue and a political undertone that drives the story and makes the characters resonate even more strongly. The series was highly successful and spawned a sequel, TITMUSS REGAINED, also included in this DVD release.

There are, of course, a number of excellent performances on hand, from David Threlfall’s despicable Leslie Titmuss to the tragic Jill Bennett (scorned wife of playwright John Osborne). But it is Michael Hordern who stays with you.

He’s the most unlikely of stars. Yet the warmth that emanates from him in virtually every part he plays makes him eminently watchable and attractive. Whether supporting Richard Burton in any number of films—from ALEXANDER THE GREAT to ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS, though most memorably in THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD—Hordern always manages to draw focus. He is simply one of the ultimate examples of that quality that every actor strives for: he is interesting.

The episodes of this enjoyable but perhaps flimsily-plotted series (it’s really not that hard to figure out the pay off!) are as follows:
Episode 1: Death of a Saint
Episode 2: The Temptation of Henry Simcox
Episode 3: Chez Titmuss
Episode 4: Living in the Past
Episode 5: The Wrongs of Man
Episode 6: The Lost Leader
Episode 7: And a Happy New Year to You, Too!
Episode 8: Enigma Variations
Episode 9: The Gods of the Copy Book Headings
Episode 10: Faith Unfaithful
Episode 11: The Simcox Inheritance

TITMUSS REGAINED is three episodes in duration:
Episode 1: Today
Episode 2: Tomorrow
Episode 3: And the Next Day…

How much you are drawn into the story will depend on how much you enjoy drama that focuses on character rather than plot revelation, action or earth-shaking events. Fans of Michael Hordern will simply relish him in yet another great, understated performance. Those of you who know the face and not the name might want to take a look and watch PARADISE POSTPONED from the perspective of Hordern’s masterful performance. No one does it like the British. Michael Hordern is one reason why.

Rating:

3.0

Was this review helpful to you?
Yes