"The Line of Beauty" (2006) (mini)TV mini-series

Director:

Saul Dibb

Writers:

Alan Hollinghurst (novel)
Andrew Davies (adaptation)

Release Date:

17 May 2006 (UK)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The story of two gay lovers in 1980s London.

Plot Keywords:

1980s | Cocaine | Adultery | Self Mutilation | AIDS

Cast

Dan Stevens	...	Nick Guest
Oliver Coleman	...	Toby Fedden
Carmen du Sautoy	...	Elena
Kenneth Cranham	...	Sir Maurice Tipper
Tim McInnerny	...	Gerald Fedden
Barbara Flynn	...	Sally Tipper
Alice Krige	...	Rachel Fedden
Hayley Atwell	...	Catherine 'Cat' Fedden
Don Gilet	...	Leo Charles
Oscar James	...	Brentford
John Quayle	...	Geoffrey Titchfield
John Standing	...	Lord Kessler
Justin Salinger	...	Russell
Bruno Lastra	...	Tristao
Kika Markham	...	Mrs. Thatcher

Runtime:

USA:179 min (San Francisco Lesbian & Gay Film Festival)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Amersham, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Trivia:

In the pub scene for Nick and Leo's first meeting, "time" is called at the end of the evening by the real landlord of that pub, the Windsor Castle pub.

Quotes:

Nick Guest: I just think he's the most beautiful man I've ever met.
Catherine Fedden: Darling, you don't fall in love with somebody *because* they're beautiful. People are lovely *because* we love them, not the other way round.

Very slim storyline......three episodes in which nothing very much happens

I decided to watch this serial after seeing the endless adverts for it on the BBC in the weeks prior to it starting. I watched it despite the fact that I don't like the pretentious kind of stuff that Alan Hollinghurst writes (sorry to his fans but I think we have a case of the emperor's new clothes with this author's work). I admit that the acting is excellent, it is beautifully shot and I was reasonably entertained by it - however- I found that the storyline was extremely thin and after watching all three episodes feel very unsatisfied with this rather empty production. The 'explicit' gay sex that the media droned on about has all been done before on TV - several times - so it was nothing very shocking I'm afraid. Full marks for production values but low ones for storyline/content I'm afraid.