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The best part of ex-Royal Air Force squadron leader Reggie Cunningham-Jarvis's life was obviously World War II (just ask anyone at his local pub), when he and his comrades won the Battle of Britain from the cockpits of Spitfire fighter planes. After that, Reggie (Albert Finney) married into money and didn't do much else for the next 40 or so years, except turn into his own, blustering idea of a pillar of English resoluteness. Meanwhile, a fellow veteran, Roy Southgate (Tom Courtenay), who saw the war from the ground, spent his productive years quietly as a milkman, devoted husband, and tragically failed father. When the wives of each of these men die on the same day in the same hospital room, an unlikely bond is established, leading to an experiment in shared housing with a spurious yet, for Reggie and Roy, somehow comforting class division between them. This very rewarding British comedy-drama, based on a novel by Angela Lambert, is rich in character, beautifully crafted dialogue, and vital performances from two of the finest actors in the world. Just to gild the lily, Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous) is cast as one of the most sympathetic gold diggers in film history, but the real hook here for movie fans is the reuniting of Finney and Courtenay in roles not terribly dissimilar to those they played in the 1983 hit The Dresser. Not just for Anglophiles, A Rather English Marriage is a touching, vigorous delight. --Tom Keogh
Description
After a wealthy ex-fighter pilot (Albert Finney) and a retired milkman (Tom Courtenay) are both widowed on the same night, the odd couple decide to bury their differences and move in together. At first the two become friends, until their unlikely relationship is threatened by the arrival of an alluring woman with a hidden agenda. Also stars Joanna Lumley and Katie Carr.
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Most helpful customer reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The classiest TV movie in years.,
By markjamestaylor@hotmail.com (the United Kingdom.) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Rather English Marriage (VHS Tape)
It's easy to see why this movie won several TV British Academy Awards (BAFTAs). The acting is superb from all the actors (even down to the bit players), the music is superb, and the writing and direction are first-rate. The ending is also the best in any movie I have ever seen, and comes round too soon. For me, the story is about the relationship between two heterosexual men following the death of their wives - and how they both come to terms with their bereavement. Tom Courtney's Southgate (which won him the Best Actor BAFTA award) grieves immediately after his wife dies. However, Albert Finney's multi-layered Sgt.Major (also nominated for the Best Actor BAFTA) takes longer to come to terms with his life and loss. If you want to see the Best of British, this movie is one of those surprising little gems that only come around so often.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting character study,
By
This review is from: A Rather English Marriage (DVD)
Two elderly men are widowed on the same night in the same hospital. Pompous lecher Reggie (Albert Finney) and meek milkman Southgate (Tom Courtenay) would seem to have little in common, yet they become roommates at the suggestion of a social worker who thinks the situation will ease their grief. Reggie, however, starts bossing Southgate around and treating him like a servant while beginning a dodgy romance with a younger woman.This well-intentioned "odd couple"-type drama almost hits a home run with top-notch acting from the two stars, but the script glosses over or eliminates much needed information and action. While Southgate doesn't seem to mind being treated like hired help, we never understand why he stays in the relationship, as their friendship is assumed rather than developed in the story. Courtenay is by far the more sympathetic of the two, giving a poignant performance as a truly grieving man who has a family secret. Finney's blustery old windbag is quite rude and unlikable, but he does a good job playing him. I think this could have been better with another half hour to develop the relationship between the two men; as it is we're left to fill in much of the story ourselves. Still, this simple movie is quite watchable thanks to the talent and charisma of Finney and Courtenay.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classical Film,
By
This review is from: A Rather English Marriage (DVD)
I cannot express adequately enough the class that this film displays. Two of Britains finest actors shows us the true measure and understanding of what happens to people when they are left along without their married partner. These two men, who come from such different backgrounds show us that all things are possible in relationships when bereavement casts its very dark cloud!, and Tom Finney and Tom Courtney show us very clearly how each handles this sadness. I believe this is a film for everyone's library. Joanne Lumley also plays the wonderful, calculating, mischievous fraud, but that finally she does shows us that she has a conscience and a heart.
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