Daphne (2007)

Daphne Du Maurier is one of the most well loved women writers of all time who in Rebecca created one of the most beguiling characters in English LIterature. In celebration of the centenary of Daphne du Maurier's birth a new fact-based drama explores the secret love life of this renowned writer. Based on personal letters and biographies the film charts the story of Daphne's unrequited passion for the beautiful and glamorous American heiress Ellen Doubleday and how the play she wrote about this forbidden desire led her to a life-changing love affair with the irreverent fun-loving actress Gertrude Lawrence. Daphne called herself 'a boy in a box' and this revealing drama shows how Daphne's incendiary love life informed the writing of her compelling stories. Margeret Forster's acclaimed authorised biography is an important source for this film.Running Time: 88 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: TELEVISION/BBC UPC: 883929014255 Manufacturer No: 1000037748 Product Description

"There's nothing sinister about this happy wife."

***1/2 The BBC drama Daphne is certain to attract those curious about the British author's arguably most famous book, Rebecca. This biopic concentrates on a relatively small period of Daphne du Maurier's life and focuses, very intensely, on the significant relationships Daphne had with the women in her life. It's a frame story beginning in 1952 and then flashing back to her husband's returns from WWII. At this point in Daphne's (Geraldine Somerville) life, she has penned the novel Rebecca (the film doesn't mention her other, earlier novels to this point) and she and her husband Tommy (Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick "Boy" Browning) have three children. Tommy's return--built up to be some romantic reunion--turns out to be a disappointment.

The plot shows Daphne mired in boredom, trapped in a comfortable married life and yearning for something, and that something comes along in the form of American publisher Nelson Doubleday's beautiful wife, Ellen (Elizabeth McGovern). The two women are thrown together when Daphne travels to America to answer allegations of plagiarism.

Based on Daphne du Maurier's letters and biographies, the film follows Daphne's life for just a few short years, through the plagiarism suit and up to the time she pens another hit book, My Cousin Rachel. The film hints at the darker themes explored in du Maurier's books that are echoed in her real life.

Daphne is a film that grew on me. For the first portion of the film, I did not particularly enjoy Geraldine Somerville's portrayal of Daphne. Daphne's wide strides became almost German goose steps, and the demeanor of the lady-of-the-manor somewhat contrived and overdone. But by the time the glorious, colourful actress Gertrude Lawrence (Janet McTeer) appeared on the scene, things really warmed up.

Both Daphne and Ellen are somewhat confused women, and in contrast the marvelous Gertrude Lawrence, a woman who knows what she wants and how to get it, swoops in and takes over. Daphne du Maurier is portrayed as a woman who never seems entirely comfortable with the roles handed to her by society, and yet she also has difficulty fully accepting her attraction to women. So it's not particularly surprising that she should end up being so influenced by Gertrude's powerful character. Directed by Clare Beavan.

A good companion piece to this film is the BBC drama Portrait of a Marriage--the story of Vita Sackville-West's love affair with Violet Keppel. Oh and by the way, my favourite du Maurier books are The House on the Strand and The King's General. September 24, 2008

The Romancer

Daphne du Maurier provided nothing if not great stories, both in her novels (which continue to be underappreciated for their intelligence and subtleties, particularly in the United States) and in her tumultuous life. The adored second child of the great man of the theatre Gerald du Maurier, Daphne internalized her father's homophobia and spent most of her life tormented by her yearnings for women and by her sense of herself as a "boy in a box"; though married to "Tommy" browning with whom she raised three adored children at the great Cornish house she rented for much of her life, Menabilly, she was distracted by the parts of herself that did not fit so neatly into that life.

This beautifully produced BBC drama covers Du Maurier's life from after the Second World War, when her husband returned home from service, to the early 1950s, and involves three of the major relationships of her life: her relationship with her husband (at this point strained and devoid of physical passion); her unrequired love for her friend Ellen Doubleday, the socialite wife of her American publisher; and her most sexually satisfying relationship with the great actress Gertrude Lawrence. The sets and the lighting for this sumptuously mounted production are first-rate, as is the actress playing Du Maurier, Geraldine Somerville, who brings much nuance and intelligence to the part. But Somerville is let down here both by the screenplay and by her co-stars. The story here emphasizes the somewhat crankier parts of Du Maurier, including her sense of being constantly besieged by her fans (which here makes her seem a bit of an ingrate) and her particular frustration at only being known for writing REBECCA. But the screenwriters and producers only have her friends and Daphne herself ever mention REBECCA among all of her novels she had written up to this point (they apparently didn't trust their audience would remember even FRENCHMAN'S CREEK or JAMAICA INN), and since Daphne seems to be constantly comparing people and events in her life to those in REBECCA she seems something of a hypocrite rather than just at odds with herself (as the real Du Maurier was). Worse, Elizabeth McGovern and Janet McTeer seem quite miscast as Du Maurier's two new loves, Ellen Doubleday and Gertrude Lawrence (respectively). McGovern seems much too frivolous and ditsy to play Doubleday, given that Du Maurier here sees her friend as a dazzling and glamorous figure comparable to Rebecca de Winter herself; and while McTeer can bring off the coarser aspects of Lawrence well enough, and even her frustrated disappointments in Du Maurier, she fails to make us see why this woman would have been seen as the most charismatic and sophisticated woman in the British theatre in her day. You feel as if the whole undertaking doesn't quite live up to what it could have been, or capture your attention and your sympathies in the way Du Maurier's story deserves. September 11, 2008

The secret love life of Daphne du Maurier based on personal letters

In this BBC biopic, Daphne's secret love life is explored, who is the author
of Rebecca, Jamaica Inn, and many more popular beloved novels. She is one
of the best-loved writers of all time. The film is based on personal letters
and various biographies. Daphne calls herself "a boy in a box" and this
revealing drama shows how her incendiary love life informed her writing. The
film charts the story of Daphne's unrequited passion for the beautiful, wealthy
and glamorous American heiress Ellen Doubleday, and how the play she wrote
about this forbidden desire led her to a life-changing love affair with the
irreverent, fun loving actress Gertrude Lawrence. Gertrude is played by
Janet McTeer, a British Actor who has become well known in America, and
is known for her ease of playing characters so diverse in her films,
sometimes she is completely unrecognizable from film to film. The movie
has a magnificent cast, with the setting in the 1940's and 1950's. June 6, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...