The Story of an African Farm (2004)

Director

• David Lister

Starring

• Richard E Grant
• Karin van der Laag
• Armin Mueller-Stahl
• Luke Gallant
• Kasha Kropinski

Last On

11:40-13:15 Fri 5th Aug 2011 95m
BBC2

Synopsis

Olive Schreiner's classic South African story about three children living in the veldt was an instant hit on its 1883 publication, but this glossy adaptation by director David Lister is a thin affair. Anneke Weidemann, Kasha Kropinski and Luke Gallant make their feature debuts as the children whose life on the farm takes a turn for the worse after the arrival of Bonaparte Blenkins (Richard E Grant), a sinister, top-hatted conman. The children do well, as does Armin Mueller-Stahl as the farm manager, but Grant is way over the top and Lister's pacing is slack.