Red-125 "Fingersmith" (2005) is a BBC miniseries, directed by Aisling Walsh. It's adapted from a novel by Sarah Waters. The basic plot is the interaction of two women. One is Maud Lilly, played by Elaine Cassidy. The other is Sue Trinder, played by Sally Hawkins. The women come together from entirely different backgrounds. They have nothing in common except that they are both young and beautiful.Each one has her own tragedy. Maud is a gentlewoman, but has been raised by her harsh, perverted uncle. He specializes in pornographic novels, and he forces Maud to read them aloud to small groups of invited "sophisticates."Sue is a "fingersmith," which is English slang means a talented pickpocket. She has been raised in what is (literally) a den of thieves, run by Mrs. Sucksby, portrayed by Imelda Staunton. Sue has very little money and she can't read or write.The plot begins with treachery. Richard "Gentleman" Rivers (played by Rupert Evans), offers Sue an immense sum of money if she will help him swindle Maud. She accepts, and he and she arrive at the mansion of Maud's uncle. That's as much as I'll say about the plot, except to warn you that nothing is what it seems to be. It's a complicated tale, which flips back and forth when you least expect it to.Cassidy, Hawkins, Staunton, and Evans are all superb actors, and it's a pleasure to see them act and interact. As you would expect from the BBC, production values are high. The supporting actors, the sets, and the streets look real. We know that there are production people everywhere, just outside of the range of the camera, but, still, the sense of realism is there.We saw this film on DVD, where it worked well. It probably would be better in a theater-- most movies are. However, it was made for television and it looks good on the smaller screen. Important note: The 2016 Japanese/Korean film Handmaiden is based on the same novel. Being Korean substitutes for being lower class, and being Japanese substitutes for being among the elite. Most of the story is basically the same, although some revelations in the last third of the BBC production are not included in the Japanese/Korean production.I enjoyed both films, and it makes sense to see them both.

x-fadetoblack-x I'm not going to bother with typing out a synopsis or a summary of the plot, I don't want to spoil anything as this is a story that you really need to experience for yourself. To be honest, I was very skeptical about this movie. I have not read the book, nor have I read any of Sarah Waters' books or watched any of her other films, but after seeing this movie, I definitely plan to. I've already gone and ordered the book of Fingersmith and I can't wait to begin reading it.I have owned this DVD for MONTHS and sort of pushed it aside because it's a rather long movie and I was skeptical about how this movie would play out. Well, let me tell you, after seeing it for the first time last night, I was completely blown away and I am kicking myself for not watching this masterpiece sooner. In fact, I now think that the movie is too SHORT! I originally planned to watch the first part on one night and the second part on another night, but I just couldn't stop and stayed up till 2am watching all of it. I've fallen in love with the story, the setting, and the characters; the acting is superb, like nothing I've seen before. This movie will break your heart while at the same time give you butterflies like you've never felt before. It's absolutely beautiful and terrifying at the same time, and I highly recommend it. Don't let the fact that it's set in a Victorian period scare you away. They literally made a masterpiece and I can't wait to read the book.

TheNoblePeaceGiver Wow! Where to start?This adaptation of Sarah Waters' third novel is one of my all-time favorite movies!!!!!I'm not to big on fiction novels (seriously I NEVER read fiction), but the book is just as FABULOUS as the film! Or should I say the film is just as FABULOUS as the book?! I JUST LOVE THIS STORY!!!!!Anyway, I put off watching this three hour long film (2 part series on DVD, 3 part series on TV/book) for about a year and half. It simply did not look that interesting...BOY WAS I SO WRONG! I became immediately immersed into the rich and suspenseful plot...utterly enthralled! Just like the book, you cannot stop watching/reading. It grasps your attention for the entire 3 hours...and when it does end...you wish it hadn't.The story just flows so beautifully and you'll be wondering where the time went.The lesbian subplot was just icing on the cake! The parts I love most are the subtle facial expressions and glances/eye contact between the two characters. You really feel their desire for one another and yet they cannot act upon it.....until they must. May I point out that the "lesbian theme" is an important part of the film, obviously, at the heart of the film is a genuine unexpected love story, but it is most certainly not what the whole movie is about. For me that's what makes this story so unique and intriguing. I've never read or heard of anything like it. Sarah Waters is pure genius!The twists and turns it takes leaves you hanging on the edge of your seat. Seriously! My hands were clasped on to my couch with every surprising plot twist and I even yelled out several times ("OH MY GOD! NO WAY! THAT DID NOT JUST HAPPEN! DID IT?")...I NEVER do that!The only negative thing I have to say about this film is that I wish they'd added more from the book. But obviously having the adaptation be restricted by time they couldn't add everything that I would've liked. How awful it is though...I think I'm just being brutally selfish now...forgive me. The last 20 minutes does seem a little rushed. However, they put all the important bits in where even if you only watch the film and choose not to read the book you will be most satisfied with the outcome. The actors are just SUPERB! BRILLIANT even! Sally Hawkins (Sue) and Elaine Cassidy (Maud) have such great on screen chemistry they steam up your television set. Simply electric! The emotions...the desperation...the struggle each of them feel is expressed seemingly effortless by these wonderfully talented actresses. Rupert Evans plays such a good bad guy as Gentleman. I found myself seething every time he came on screen, but loving it because he's just so damn cute and somehow still charming even though you want to wring his neck. Imelda Staunton gives yet another fantastic performance as Mrs. Sucksby. She's such a warmhearted actress you cannot help but love her...even when the character she's playing isn't as delightful. Everyone else in the cast were perfect! They really represented the characters well and were just as I imagined them to be after reading the book.This is a must see for any film buff! Actually, ANYONE and EVERYONE should see this movie AND read the book! Chances are you won't be disappointed!

[email protected] I'm not exactly sure why I ordered "Fingersmith" from Netflix -- probably, because I enjoy BBC dramas, it was on a list of recommendations. I had no idea what I was about to see. The plot, which I will only describe in general so as not to spoil it for anyone who will see it after reading my review, has more twists and turns than a mountain road in the Rockies, of the sort that customarily appear in "caper" movies. They are very unusual in a period drama. Not having read the novel (and I do not intend to do so), I was totally unprepared for the surprise that ends the first segment on the DVD and equally surprised by the subsequent twists and turns. Nonetheless, it is extremely well acted by the two young principals (by Sally Hawkins,in particular, as Sue and by Elaine Cassidy as Maud) and, in key supporting roles, by Imelda Staunton as the mother figure in a house of thieves and by Charles Dance as the rich uncle who collects pornographic materials and who rescues young Maud from the mad house where her mother lived to be his secretary. The lesbian affair between Maud and Sue is the "big news" in the movie, but really not its centerpiece. The centerpiece is a plot to steal the fortune that Maud is due on her 21st birthday. The turns and twists in the plot add tension, though not much credibility, to the movie. However, no viewer is likely to doubt that Maud and Sue will somehow end up together -- improbably -- as the credits roll. Although one has been raised as a ady, and serves a collector of pornography, and the other is a pickpocket posing as a lady's maid, the author obviously means for them to live together in the end. It's a bit difficult to swallow, since each has conspired to cheat the other. Despite these reservations, I liked movie well enough. It does not quite deserve the praise that others have lavished on it. The most fearsome and interesting scenes take place inside the madhouse where one of the two young women has been confined until she is able to escape and return to London to bring the story to its unexpected conclusion. Sally Hawkins (Sue) is a very impressive young actress, able to convey her character's cascading and changing emotions with her facial expressions and her eyes. No doubt we'll see more of her. I certainly hope so.