Tamara Drewe

Tamara Drewe is a 2010 film adaptation, of the graphic novel by Posy Simmonds, which was itself inspired by Thomas Hardy « Far from the madding crowd ».
This comedy, directed by Stephen Frears, is the story of a young and attractive journalist called Tamara Drewe (Gemma Arterton), who returns after her mother’s death, to the rural village where she grew up, in order to fix up the house so that it can be sold.
Across the valley, Nicholas Hardiment (Roger Allam) a successful author of detective novels and his wife (Tamsin Greig) who is in fact at the origin of her husband’s success, run their country home to other novelists in search of inspiration. Joining them is Glen (Bill Camp), an American author working on a book about Thomas Hardy.
Writers are there to work but the arrival of Tamara with her new nose disturbs the peace in Ewedown Village. Tamara Drewe, once an unattractive teenage girl, has been transformed into a devastating beauty (with help from plastic surgery) and now represents the object of sexual frustration among all the men in town. They are all amazed at the improvement of her appearance but Tamara doesn’t care. After an interview with Ben Sergeant (Dominic Cooper), a British rock star, the two begin a romantic relationship and he eventually proposes much to the dismay of Ben’s obsessive fans Jody and her friend Casey. The plot’s motor is in fact provided by these two schoolgirls who will stop at nothing to make Ben change his mind and to sabotage his relationship that will create a string of consequences.

The premiere was held on 6th September 2010 at the Odeon Leicester Square and Momentum Pictures released the film in the United Kingdom on 10 September 2010.
The film premiered at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival in May and was released nationwide in France on 14 July 2010.

In my opinion, this was not a bad movie but it did not deserve all the positive reviews I heard. I must admit I was a bit disappointed by the movie. However, I really appreciated the role of Jessica Barden (Jody) who presents a character whose motives are sinister and whose passions are overflowing.


By Laurence Henriet