Stephen Frears has enjoyed a long-lasting and varied career directing projects as diverse as 80s classic My Beautiful Launderette, post-modern rom-com High Fidelity and more recently, his Oscar-nominated drama The Queen. His latest project is something very different again.
Tamara Drewe is a pastoral comedy of manners based on a cartoon strip by Posy Simmonds (the strip inspired by Thomas Hardy novel Far From The Madding Crowd). It stars Gemma Arterton as a naïve femme fatale who creates havoc in the Dorset village where she grew up.
The film was initially unveiled at the Cannes Film Festival where it was given a warm reception by critics. Just a few months later, the red carpet is finally rolled out in Leicester Square for the UK release. Frears and Arterton were among those who stopped to chat to BBC Film Network about what makes this a quintessentially British comedy.
Supporting players Dominic Cooper, Luke Evans, Tamsin Greig and Roger Allam also chip in with their thoughts on the British sense of humour and the producers of the film explain why a story so difficult to categorise seemed like an ideal prospect for commercial success.
Watch the Tamara Drewe trailer on BBC Films website
Tamara Drewe is released on 10th September 2010
Interviews and text: Stella Papamichael
Direction and Editing: Ravi Ajit Chopra
Production Assistant: Aaron Chopra
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