Film Review: Far From The Madding Crowd

Far From The Madding Crowd (2015)

starring Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts, Tom Sturridge, 
Michael Sheen, and Juno Temple

Watch the trailer #2 for Far From The Madding Crowd 

Read my FFTMC review below...

Far From The Madding Crowd synopsis 

The story of independent, beautiful and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan), who attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a sheep farmer, captivated by her fetching willfulness; Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), a handsome and reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a prosperous and mature bachelor. This timeless story of Bathsheba's choices and passions explores the nature of relationships and love - as well as the human ability to overcome hardships through resilience and perseverance.

I saw Far From The Madding Crowd on Carey Mulligan's birthday (May 28th) of all days, that's because it was finally showing in my local theater and it happens to be her birthday. I loved and enjoyed watching it. The period drama feel and the countryside shown in this movie reminded me of one of my all-time favorite period movies: Pride & Prejudice (2005). Not too mention, one of its stars from P&P movie, Carey Mulligan (aka Kitty Bennet, the 4th Bennet daughter) was the main star of this movie. I've heard of FFTMC novel by Thomas Hardy, but has never read it until about 5 years ago when I visited the UK and a friend gave me a copy of it to read. I tried to read it during my flight back home from the UK, but unfortunately, the novel did not really capture my interest in reading it at the time. So, I ended up watching a movie adaptation of it sometime later that same year and the one I saw was the 1967 movie version starring Julie Christie. I thought that movie was good and I understood what the story was about without knowing much from the book. I went back to re-read the book and I did liked it, but it still not a favorite of mine.

Five years later, a new film version of Far From The Madding Crowd starring Carey Mulligan, surprisingly got me excited to go see the movie especially with Miss Mulligan playing Bathsheba Everdene, the main heroine. Her character, the beautiful Miss Everdene, who is a strong-willed, intelligent, witty, and independent woman reminds me of my favorite English literary heroine Elizabeth Bennet of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I love that her character was a strong and intelligent woman of her time (and of when the story was set). Unlike, Miss Bennet though (who was smarter in picking the right man for her, the one she deeply loved, to marry rather than marry someone for money or someone who just charmed her into one), Miss Everdene made a hasty decision to marry someone she just met (and not the one she really loved) just on a whim. She did, eventually, learned her lesson and picked the right man for her, in the end. I love Carey in this movie and her singing Let No Man Steal Your Thyme (with Michael Sheen) was great too. She has a very good and soothing (singing) voice. She did a great job playing her lead role and one of my favorite lines of her character (the one that I still remember long after the credits roll and up to now, almost a month later) was, "From now on, you have a Mistress not a Master. It is my intention to astonished you all."

The rest of the supporting cast including the men who played Miss Everdene's suitors Matthias Schoenaerts as Gabriel Oak (the handsome farmer...loved what he said to Miss Everdene: "leading on a man you do not care for is beneath you." ), Tom Sturridge as Sergeant Frank Troy (the reckless and caddish officer), and Michael Sheen as William Boldwood (the wealthy bachelor) all did very good too.

Overall, I thought this was a great period movie and a very good new film adaptation to Thomas Hardy's Literature classic Far From The Madding Crowd. 

(Spoiler Alert: This particular scene in FFTMC reminds me of P&P movie...)

Loved the stunningly gorgeous cinematography (especially towards the end when the sun rises and shining towards the main leads' faces as they finally get together...which reminds me of how similar it was to the unforgettable and memorable second proposal scene in Joe Wright's P&P (2005) movie when the sun rises and was shining through Elizabeth & Darcy's faces with their famous and oh, so romantic forehead-to-forehead moment as they finally get together in the end), the wonderful score and music (including Carey Mulligan's Batsheba Everdene playing the piano and singing in the film) was very good as does the screenplay and directing too, and a great cast with Carey Mulligan in the lead. I recommend you go out and see this movie in theaters (while it's still currently showing nationwide), if you haven't already. Go see it!

My Far From The Madding Crowd film rating:   (9.5/10 A)