Sunday, February 28, 2010

Wartime Britain

While the DVD world is filled with action/adventure movies about World War II, there are far too few good movies about the lives of the people on the homefront: This excellent set features three of the best. Island at War is an epic, yet intimate, look at the Britons living on the tiny Channel Island during the German occupation, while The Heat of the Day shows the seedier side of patriotism as a sinister government agent tries to blackmail a woman into bed. The third film, Housewife, 49, tells the story of a timid housewife who discovers her inner strength and independence through the volunteer work she does to help the war effort. The acting in all three is top-notch, particularly Victoria Wood’s performance in Housewife, 49, and Michael Gambon’s as the sinister seducer in The Heat of the Day. The entire cast of Island at War is phenomenal, particularly Philip Glenister as the sinister Baron Von Rheingarten.

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