Small Screen Scenes: ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT: BURTON AND TAYLOR BY BBC HOME ENTERTAINMENT HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY WHOM YOU KNOW! Our Coverage Sponsored by Paul Mayer Attitudes
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Aahhh the drama of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton!!! Helena Bonham Carter’s rendition of Elizabeth Taylor is fantastic, and spot on! Dominic West doesn’t outshine Liz – could anyone REALLY outshine Elizabeth Taylor – but is the perfect offset as Richard Burton. BBC’s Burton and Taylor chronicles a short period in the much watched and documented relationship between the two. Sometime after their two marriages (and two divorces), the two are staring on Broadway in a production of Private Lives, a story which in many ways parallels or plays off of the intricacies of Burton and Taylor’s relationship. Both onstage and off, Liz is tempestuous and dramatic against Richard’s brooding and serious struggles. Though we all know the ending of the real-life story, we go through the drama still hoping for the two to be able to share how much they truly care about each other, a tribute to Bonham-Carter and West’s portrayal of these two very complex characters. Burton and Taylor by the BBC is a fantastic snapshot of Burton and Taylor’s relationship, and a must watch!
Few romances have captured public attention like that of Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Providing excellent tabloid fodder over a number of decades, the tempestuous Burton/Taylor love saga was full of passion, excitement, and drama. Although attempting to capture the story of the two lovers on film is a highly ambitious undertaking, BBC Home Entertainment's Burton and Taylor is a home run. Starring Dominic West and Helena Bonham Carter in the titular roles, the film wisely does not attempt to cover the whole scope of the pair's relationship. Rather, it focuses on a particularly interesting chapter in their story: that which takes place in 1983 seven years after their second divorce, when Burton convinced Taylor to join him on Broadway in a revival of Noël Coward’s “Private Lives.” In a classic case of art imitating life, the play focuses on a divorced couple who are reunited when they are both on their honeymoons with their new spouses. Of course, although both Taylor and Burton have moved on with their lives, their chemistry and their history are undeniable, causing sparks to fly and outlandish behavior to take place. Bonham Carter and West do an admirable job of bringing the two iconic performers to life, without resorting to mimicry or imitation, and the supporting cast members also turn in stellar performances. Thoroughly entertaining and enjoyable from start to finish, Burton and Taylor is highly recommended by this panelist!
Richard's voice is appropriately husky and sexy, and Elizabeth is breathe-y and witty. With their voices again leading us into the real lives of Taylor and Burton, we grasp the tone immediately of this BBC production. Helene Bonham Carter does a sparkling interpretation wrapped in violet eyes. Dominic West is just Burton, convincing us that we are watching their story. Good casting. With a relationship that was at best rocky and always full of their own kind of love, Taylor and Burton captivated audiences for decades. The drama behind and in front of the cameras was reported to their adoring public on a daily basis. Pre-internet, that was no mean feat to perpetrate. A tiny package, Elizabeth Taylor was always a dynamic personality. We may know her today largely because of Ms. Taylor's benevolent activities, but in the 1960's she was our Cleopatra. This BBC production of Burton and Taylor gives us the Taylor/Burton team during their Broadway run with "Private Lives". Although it was not their most shining hour in the eyes of the critics, the time frame is a perfect setting for this story. The picture isn't always pretty, and shows their recurring struggles in their daily lives. BBC manages the story within a reverent space, and keeps us within the hallowed walls of memory with brilliant production values. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton shall forever be Mr. and Mrs. to many of us, at the height of their infamity and gigantic talent. May they live longer now because of BBC home entertainment.
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Academy Award®-nominee and Screen Actor Guild nominee Helena Bonham Carter (The King's Speech, Sweeney Todd) received a Golden Globe® nomination for her portrayal with Dominic West (The Hour, The Wire) of Hollywood's most famously volatile on-again-off-again couple. Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor had one of the most fascinating, glamorous and tempestuous relationships of the 20th century - the two most famous movie stars of their day who played out every high and low of their love affairs, multiple marriages and divorces right in the public eye. Burton and Taylor follows their private and public relationship played out against their ill-fated appearance in a 1983 revival of Noel Coward's stage play, Private Lives. Tempestuous, funny, and dripping with diamonds - this is the last battle of the Burtons. Bonus materials include two behind the scenes featurettes: “Setting the Stage” and “Love is the Drug.”
