Reviews

Upon initial viewing it has a good set up , then it quickly devolves into a cartoon with light sabres being pulled out at the slightest provocation. The relationships amongst the characters seem solid enough to keep one's attention, The writer here doesn't have the originality of a Jon Favreau who did The Mandalorean. Mr Favreau manged to borrow elements from the Star Wars universe and create a much more interesting universe with it. More so than even the George Lucas or other iterations of that ilk. Anyone remember the red eyed android gunslinger who shoots down Timothy Olyphant. After A New Hope, and Empire Strikes Back, each new series and movie is an attempt to capture that fleeting quality, As we all know (James Bond anybody), sequels seem to be a dumping ground for everybody's idea of what Star Wars should be. George gave us Ewoks, here we have the Noti, but it doesn't matter because it's Star Wars and kids will see it no matter what. This series though, Jumps the Shark. Zombie Storm troopers.??? On top of that, anyone watching with subtitles, will see "Ships whooshing" as imperial fighter ships fight in outer space.against the good guys. Another anomaly, the flying whale-squids that manage to hyper jump to another galaxy..Through out the series, the director references set design we've seen before in previous movies, The Imperial Starship is back, and here we can see the plodding plotting show up again as it seems to take forever to load the cargo, which allows the Jedi to stage an attack. The Mandalorian set a new standard for Star Wars spin offs, Ahsoka never gets there..

I've indicated there may be spoilers,just to be safe,but these are drawing room intrigues set during the Edwardian era(I think)written by Henry James who I have never read,but he seems to rival Jane Austen for insights into the English ruling class and those below.Very entertaining with top notch English actors,these can be enjoyed even today,for their rich use of language and costume and even some Hitchcockian twist endings. Someone has already listed Volume Two of the DVD set so I'll go through Volume One.

Catherine (with Lynn Farleigh and Ian Ogilvy) based on "Washington Square" Many viewers will immediately recognize the similarities between this and the classic The Heiress with Olivia De Havilland,although the ending is different.A plain society woman (nothing plain about Lynn Farleigh,even though she tries)attracts the attention of a handsome rogue.Her father threatens to disinherit her.

Adela (with Anna Calder-Marshall) based on "The Marriages" A daughter schemes to keep her idyllic home life intact by derailing her father's wedding plans.

Miss Tita (with Margaret Tyzack )based on "The Aspen Papers" A scholar seeks love letters written by a famous writer to a reclusive woman.He seeks the aide of her assistant who falls in love with him.

Grace (with Diana Rigg ) based on "Covering End" An impoverished aristocrat is faced with a daunting choice to save the family estate until an American woman (Dame Diana Rigg)shows up.

Milly (with Rosalind Ayers) based on "Wings of a Dove" A socialite schemes to raise her boyfriend's fortune by foisting him on a terminally ill American woman.Although Rosalind Ayers does a magnificent acting job as the American,Lois Baxter's beauty charm's us so much,we find it hard to picture her as the Devil's Advocate.Had the roles been reversed,we may have been more able to denounce the machinations of the Katy Croy character.

Flora (with Gayle Hunnicutt) based on "Glasses" A vain but very beautiful woman hides a secret that may destroy her.

Mary & Louisa (with Pamela Brown and Faith Brock)based on "The Tone of Time & The Real Thing" Two women vie for a painting of a former lover.

This movie starts out as a pleasant French romantic/comedy along the lines of "Pretty Woman" and "Maid in Manhattan" and you're lead to believe the villain will redeem himself and the heroine will win her man,much like Julia Roberts did with Richard Gere. It doesn't end up so,leaving one with a very disquieting feeling at the end as if the rug has been pulled out from under you.Maybe this is supposed to reflect the way the real world works,but after the wonderful initial set up,in the end you do feel like you've been set up.It inevitably seems under written with a need for a final chapter.Until it shifts gears though, it works,and you feel like you're in for another classic French romance.Even up to the very end you feel like it will shift back to it's light comedy form and everybody ends up happy,(American films do it all the time)but it steers it's way down a darker path of questionable value. I would still recommend this film just for the performance of Karin Viard,who plays France.