The Clandestine Marriage (1999)

Director:

Christopher Miles

Writers:

Trevor Bentham (writer)
George Coleman (play)

Release Date:

12 November 1999 (UK)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

For better...or for worse

Plot:

A period film, set around an English country house whose owners want to arrange a marriage of convenience...

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Clerk | Valet | Debtor's Prison | Social Satire

Cast

Nigel Hawthorne	...	Lord Ogleby
Joan Collins	...	Mrs. Heidelberg
Timothy Spall	...	Sterling
Tom Hollander	...	Sir John Ogelby
Paul Nicholls	...	Richard Lovewell
Natasha Little	...	Fanny
Emma Chambers	...	Betsy
Cyril Shaps	...	Canton
Ray Fearon	...	Brush
Mark Burns	...	Capstick
Timothy Bateson	...	Gaoler
Craster Pringle	...	Ruben
Lara Harvey	...	Lucy
Jenny Galloway	...	Mrs Trusty
Philippa Stanton	...	Chamber

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Stanway House, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

Nigel Hawthorne and 'Joan Collins (I)' used their own cash to fund the film when financial difficulties arose during production.

Soundtrack:

Secret

Better than it had to be...

Not bad at all – a movie starring Joan Collins always has the possibility of being a dicey affair, and she may have produced and starred in this one, but that doesn't stop it from being a charming, mannered comedy of errors. Collins has some big IL' surprises up her sleeve for us – for her first trick, she does not play Alexis Carrington, or any variation on her, in this movie. And, as if that weren't earth-shattering enough, she – I kid you not – plays a woman approximately her own age, who also looks her age. That's right, no black eyeliner and no raven tresses. It is amazing. Don't get me wrong, though – we're still dealing with Joan Collins here, so she's still pretty glam, in her own way, and certainly her character is as over-the-top as any Joan Collins character is supposed to be – but she actually acts as part of an ensemble in which she is not center stage at all times. Set in a spectacular 17th century country estate, Stanway House, with all the requisite gorgeous accoutrement, the film does exceptionally well on what was obviously not an enormous budget. The costumes, hair and makeup are beautiful, and though the story gets somewhat messy in the middle of the film, the cinematography and art direction keep the eye glued to the screen. The supporting cast also serves the film well, with a variety of skilled actors who make the best out of minor roles. It is a fun movie to watch and it looks like the kind of movie that the cast and crew had a great deal of fun making. This is a valuable quality that is imparted in the finished product, and makes it easy to overlook any weaknesses.