The Moonstone

Peter McGinn

It was sort of a hoot to see Robin Ellis play a role other than his signature performance as Ross Poldark in another 1970s series. The acting in this version of the Wilkie Collins classic novel felt a bit constrained to me and might have benefited from a bit more passion or emotion. But overall I enjoyed this production of one of the first mystery novels ever written. I haven''t read the book, so I didn't anticipate any of the small plot twists along the way. The final episode seemed to progress faster than the previous episodes had, so if it feels slow moving to you, try to stick with it The dialogue is pretty good and the characters are not two-dimensional, which is an accomplishment when there are so many characters. I don't expect to watch it again, so I would suggest borrowing or renting it rather than buying it. But watch it if you like British costume dramas.