Cold Comfort Farm (film)

Cold Comfort Farm is the latest film adaptation of the 1932 book by Stella Gibbons.  While it doesn't have all the dense satiric drollery of the book, it is a very funny interpretation of the same juxtaposition: how a normal, rational, modern woman would handle being thrown into the gothic, overly dramatic world of 19th century fiction.  Rather than lurking tensely in darkened corridors waiting for a dark, brooding lover to seduce her or drag her in a wild hurry across the heather, or accept the strange irrational patterns of her maddened relatives, Flora Poste authoritatively takes each denizen of Cold Comfort Farm on one by one, figuring out what's best for them and then implementing a strategy to accomplish it.  She isn't at all daunted by the fact that "There have always been Starkadders at Cold Comfort Farm."  The rest of the family is paralyzed by the controlling will of Aunt Ada Doom, who never leaves her room.  But not Flora.  She cleans up, fixes, inspires, and manipulations each and every Cold Comfort cretin until the place is finally inhabitable and her work is done.  

It's hard to explain why this movie is so funny, except to say that it's full of over-the-top performances satirizing stereotypical characters from literature.  Kate Beckinsale is quite good as the voice of reason, the modern woman who is unshockable.   The rest of the cast gets to be as odd as possible, and there are many highlights.  Ian McKellen is utterly hysterical as the hellfire and brimstone preacher of a congregation of "quiverers."  Eileen Atkins is one continual site gag as a woman driven mad by her 1) controlling mother and 2) strange love for her handsome but oversexed son (Rufus Sewell).  Aunt Ada Doom is a riot.  Cold Comfort, the house itself, is also funny, so dirty, mouldered, and chaotic is it.

This film is, in my opinion, one of a rare few - a film version that is as enjoyable as the book it is inspired by.  The two are certainly different, but I'd recommend both to anyone looking for a good laugh.

tags: movies