A Year in Provence | John Thaw, Lindsay Duncan

A Year in Provence | John Thaw, Lindsay Duncan | Peter Mayle's autobiographic novel

DVDs:

A Year in Provence

	A Year in Provence John Thaw, Lindsay Duncan A&E Home Video, 2001 average customer review:based on 52 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

A Year in Provence, the made-for-TV version of the bestselling book by Peter Mayle, captures a year in the lives of Brits Mayle (John Thaw) and his wife Annie (Lindsay Duncan) in southern France. The Mayles both revel in and endure what for most would be a fantasy experience: leaving dull jobs, acquiring an old farmhouse in Provence, and (for Peter) attempting to write a novel in the midst of bucolic countryside, gourmet food and drink, and interesting people. With an Agatha Christie-meets-To the Manor Born sensibility, the Mayles brave mistral winds, truffle season and the Mafia that surrounds it, exasperating neighbors, constant summer guests, an attempt at old-fashioned winemaking, and a Father Christmas drama--all while trying to renovate their kitchen.

This is not an in-depth look at expatriate living; rather, Mayle gives us a pastiche of the comedic situations he and his wife find themselves in. Some viewers may yearn for more shots of the scenic locations and a more serious treatment of Provençal culture, but most will find this a whimsical adventure and an entertaining slice of fantasy meets reality. --Stefanie Durbin

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Succulently Funny

I bought the DVD of this series because my VHS tapes of the same series are worn out. It's full of wonderful characters and full of life.

Peter Mayle's autobiographic novel

Peter Mayle's autobiographic novel of his idealistic life in Provence, France.
A Year in Provence representation of a life cycle as in Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall, from retirement in Britain to a second life as food critic and novelist, its trials and tribulations, and
A masterpiece, BBC mini-series closely follows the original novel, the beautiful scenery on location Bouches-du-Rhône, France & London, UK, only adds to the first rate cast: John Thaw as Peter Mayle and Lindsay Duncan as his wife Annie, Jean-Pierre Delage as Monsieur Colombani the French Master Plumber, Marcel Champel as Antoine Riviere his dubious neighbor, Jo Doumerg as Amedee Clement his partner, neighbor and friend, Alfred Molina as Tony Havers the abnoctious free loader house "guest" as a friend of a friend.
a UK BBC Production, in color, english language (a few french words), Run Time: 360 minutes, 12 episodes of 30 min. each, Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1,
NOT RATE it would rate as: USA & Canada: G; Brazil: L; France: CSA-10; Chile: F; Malaysia: U; Mexico: A; Netherlands: AL; Portugal: T; Romania: AP; South Africa: Family.
Highly Recommended.

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Year in Provence

Very true to the books by Peter Mayle - John Thaw is excellent. When locals speak French there are no subtitles and things are not always translated so you have a sense of tyhe the Mayles are going through.

Very droll look at trying to settle in to a new foreign culture

Each season is 1 1/2 hours so great value for money

scenery brings back memories

A group of friends rented a home in Provence last year and this video brought back so many memories of our visit. The movie was clever and it helped me practice my limited French.

Gentle humour

This series based on the Peter Mayle's bestseller possesses a sly, pleasant humour about how two ex-Londoners try - often in vain - to insert themselves into ordinary life in Provence, France. As a frequent visitor to Provence, I love how the series showcases this gorgeous area without toppling into travelogue. The best elements, though, involve Peter and Annie Mayles dealing with the locals, many of them eccentric, all of them interesting. The humour isn't broad; it's gentle since nothing ever big or profound happens. The series offers bickering bakers, truffle-smelling pigs, stolen mailboxes and, of course, wonderful wines and spectaular food. The biggest challenge for some viewers will be the dialogue, about half of which is in Provencal French. If you don't know any French, you'll still understand what's going on - sort of. Footnote: If you're only familiar with John Thaw as Inspector Morse in that long-running British msytery series, you might need a while to accept him as the optimistic, if easily frustrated Mayle, but Thaw turns out to be just the right choice as does Lindsay Duncan (Rome) as his smart, less-linguistically-challenged wife.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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