39/49
Coincidentally, Aidan Turner previously filmed at Chavenage House (The Priory in Rivals)
Tale
It follows Rupert Campbell-Black and Tony Baddingham as their long-running rivalry reaches its climax. The same location was also used to film Trenwith House in the 2015 BBC television adaptation of Poldark. Jilly Cooper’s Riders was made into a gruesome version in the 90s, but TV has since given way to her Bonkbusters; critics thought Jilly Cooper’s novels were dated and silly.
Yes, it’s full of naughty moments and tits and butts, even the odd Willy
This is far from the truth, Cooper satirizes the upper middle class of the Cotswolds with iron wit and has always understood comedy, characters and entertaining plots. In many ways, their works were more like a Restoration comedy than a Carry On film, with characters having more development and inner lives than one might expect. Now comes Disney’s RIVALS with an all-star cast, and the good news is that the movie is worth watching.
He is doing a really commendable job
His triumph, however, is that he has the budget and time to do justice to the feeling and spirit of the original book. The changes are small and actually reflect the times and politics even more clearly. Bella Maclean is great in the central role of Tagie and Alex Hassel does a great job as Rupert, a role that is impossible to cast because no one in the story can be the character Cooper created – part villain, part dude, part whiny kid.
I really liked it
The real star, however, is the wonderful cast of characters Emily Atack, Danny Dyer and Katherine Parkinson, who all give career-best performances. The 80s soundtrack is perfect throughout, making Rivals a real win for Disney. It’s fun, it’s frothy, but there’s a deeper undercurrent that elevates it above a Hallmark movie and gives hope that we’ll be seeing a lot more of this team and this universe in the future.
