Jamaica Inn

Daphne du Maurier's gothic romantic adventure has already been twice adapted—unsatisfactorily—for the screen: Alfred Hitchcock's wobbly 1939 theatrical film, which was derailed by Charles Laughton's hammy theatrics, and a bland 1983 British TV version that suffered from enervated performances by the usually reliable Jane Seymour and Patrick McGoohan. This 2014 BBC production is somewhat closer to the spirit of the du Maurier novel, at least effective in visually conveying the brooding danger and feral isolation of smugglers engaged in skullduggery on the coast of Cornwall, circa 1821. Jessica Brown Findlay is solid as Mary Yellan, the young heroine who finds herself in the midst of her family's hitherto secret criminal activities. But as with earlier productions, this Jamaica Inn also ultimately falls flat. Part of the problem can be attributed to du Maurier's novel itself, which is not one of the author's more satisfying works (and stretching the story across the span of three episodes here only highlights the flaws). It also doesn't help that much of the acting—especially Sean Harris as the ruthless ringleader and Matthew McNulty as the villain's mysterious younger brother—is uninspired. Jamaica Inn generated complaints in the U.K. from viewers who were having trouble understanding the dialogue; indeed, the combination of poor elocution and thick Cornish dialects result in more than a few incomprehensible exchanges. But even if everyone spoke with crisp diction, it could not have salvaged this disappointing endeavor. Extras include behind-the-scenes footage, cast and crew interviews, and a photo gallery. Optional, at best. (P. Hall)