Pandaemonium

"Their poems have crossed centuries, and now their secrets will be revealed," promises this BBC production, wherein literary icons William Wordsworth (John Hannah) and Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Linus Roache) lock pens in a fin de siècle 'imagining' of their early literary collaboration. Born from a shared romantic idealism and political rebelliousness, their friendship evolves into a healthy rivalry, followed by jealous enmity, as Coleridge pulls away from the pack with his drug-induced metrical fantasias. But once those laudanum-laced toddies get the best of Sammy (though not before spurring him to perhaps his greatest work, "Kubla Khan"), the indefatigable though lesser inspired Wordsworth steps to the plate for his 15 minutes. That is, until the latter is exposed as the untalented hack he really is (?!?). Okay, putting aside that arguable assessment of Bucolic Bill, Pandaemonium, directed by famed indie helmer Julien Temple and penned by Hilary and Jackie scribe Frank Cottrell Boyce, is an imaginatively realized and beautifully rendered tribute to the spirit of 19th century creativity, with Temple coaching pitch perfect performances from the entire cast in as fine an ensemble effort as I've seen of late (among whom, up-and-comer Samantha Morton, as Coleridge's loving but long suffering spouse, is worthy of particular note). Of dubious (if any) historical merit, but highly entertaining, this is also highly recommended. (S. C. Sickles)