Repressed emotion and outmoded social etiquette hardly make for scintillating cinema, but this period drama provides a pleasant pair of hours.
Adapted from the classic novel by 101 Dalmatians author Dodie Smith, it's an affectionate, coming-of-age charmer set in '30s Suffolk, where 17-year-old diarist Cassandra (the impressive Romola Garai) records her family's foibles and failings as her older sister (Rose Byrne) tries to marry a rich Yank landowner (Henry ""Don't die, ET!"" Thomas). It's whimsical and at times a little overwrought, but a streak of sly humour and some colourful performances, including Bill Nighy, good value as the eccentric, blocked-novelist father, make it worth seeking out.
DVD Extras:
Director Tim Fywell, producer David Parfitt and writer Heidi Thomas combine for a good-humoured - if slightly uninteresting - chat-track, while a seven-minute interview with Garai reveals her to be more glamorous but just as green as her on-screen counterpart.
