Reckless
Reckless
| 06 February 1997 (USA)
SEASON & EPISODES
  • 1
  • Reviews
    Cubussoli

    Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

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    Onlinewsma

    Absolutely Brilliant!

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    Chirphymium

    It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

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    Brenda

    The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

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    freddiemercurysthebest

    I saw RECKLESS when it first aired on PBS. It has stayed with me for 20yrs, I loved it so much. I could not get it out of my head; I absolutely adored everything about it. It's THE BEST thing Ever put on TV, or, anywhere else!! It was my first introduction to the gorgeous Robson Green. I fell madly in love, naturally! Francesca Annis, I've loved since Lillie Langtry. Some reviews have mentioned that it might not be up to par with Anna Karenina, simply b/c the narrator derides Paul Abbott's writing and warns viewers not to expect the likes of the classic. However, I think it's a harsh and unfair criticism. Reckless has all the drama of A.K., only with a lot more humor, grace, and sensitivity. I think it's an extraordinary tale of the human condition: of love, lust, jealousy, class warfare, age discrepancy, adultery, baby-out-of-wedlock, and divorce. All in all, the vicissitudes of life. And, just like real life, it's got a lot of funny bits as well. For me, it's just as compelling as Tolstoy's tearjerking account of life, only with a modern twist and with some laugh-out-loud moments, truly mimicking reality.....as life is not all serious and maudlin....hopefully, anyway! Don't get me wrong, I Loved Anna Karenina, but I don't like the outright dismissal of Reckless, just b/c it's written in the 20th century. And if the narrator had not planted that silly comparison, I doubt that anybody would even bring it up! The acting here is stunningly superb!!! As in most British shows, the actors inhabit their roles so strikingly that it's hard to imagine them only as actors. As always, these phenomenal Brits put Hollywood to shame. I don't know what it is, the directing, the acting, the writing......all of it.....just comes across so realistically. Reckless is my absolute all-time favorite thing ever shown on screen. This and Oliver's Travels, also a British mini-series, (with Alan Bates) are a must-see!!

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    tigerbitsy

    I mean, what could be better? 8+ hours of Robson Green AND Michael Kitchen? And it was voted one of Masterpiece Theater's 10 best? I was sorry that Reckless just didn't come together for me.As for the first two episodes, there were some fun sex scenes, and PLENTY of steamy Robson Green. But the third episode was late coming from Netflix, and by the time it got here I had almost lost all interest in finding out what happened to these characters. I did stick it out …but I just can't help feeling that Francesca Annis's character was too two dimensional…she just flitted from man to man without ever really defining herself. She was right to be angry that all the men in her life just went ahead with what THEY wanted. But I never found out what she wanted, either! And Owen Springer never really said WHY he loved her, or what he thought their life would be like together...I felt like I was watching what might have happened if Benjamin Braddock (The Graduate) had stayed with Mrs. Robinson, or if the boy from Summer of '42 stayed with the lady from the beach…. I'm not ageist or anything: there is a fourteen-year age difference between me and my spouse! But as much as I tried, this movie just didn't do it for me.The BEST part of Reckless was, as other reviewers have pointed out, David Bradley's performance as Robson Green's dad. His understated performance just wipes away anyone else on the screen with him. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.Now, unlike most reviewers, I rather enjoyed the sequel. Here at last was real villainy! Here was a galloping pace! Here was more David Bradley! I would recommend this title only to big Robson Green/Michael Kitchen/Masterpiece Theater fans.

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    ga_jill

    Francesca Annis, Michael Kitchen AND Robson Green!! Wow, what a trio...OK, so this is no Anna Karenina, but it is a good love story, very well-written and well-acted by all. Even a few 'laugh-out-loud' moments mixed in with some pretty serious observations on fidelity, age bias, and parental aging/Alzheimer's issues.Quirky guitar music added to the story as well.While I have been a fan of Ms. Annis' since 'Lillie' (in the '70s) and Mr. Kitchen's since 'The Buccaneers' and 'Enchanted April', I have only recently discovered Mr. Green ('Me and Mrs. Jones', 'Touching Evil', etc.), making me ask the question - why had I not seen 'Reckless' until recently??!! Admittedly more of a 'chick flick' than something a man will sit through, it is perfect for a rainy afternoon's lazy viewing.

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    ronaldosborne

    This gripping tale of intergenerational love, jealousy and revenge was even more enjoyable to see on DVD years after its PBS broadcast, with a sharper picture and crisper sound. My only reservations are that the plot has a few improbable moments and that some of the stronger Manchester accents are difficult at times. Luckily even missing a word here and there won't spoil the fun: the primary actors are ideally cast. Robson Green brings an enigmatic smile, a go-for-broke temperament and an athletic physicality to his role as a young surgeon who falls hopelessly for the wife of his boss at the hospital where he's just begun to work. Francesca Annis is one of the most striking 50-ish women imaginable; her acting rivals her beauty. (The love scenes between these two demonstrate better than words how little the age difference matters to them!) Each of the supporting characters is sharply drawn and excellently portrayed as well. The mix of pithy dialog and passionate excess makes this a delightful miniseries. As Russell Baker notes in his introduction, you may not be morally improved by viewing "Reckless" -- but you'll have plenty of fun. (The sequel, a part of the DVD box set, provides a wild yet satisfying two-hour denouement. You won't want to miss it if you've enjoyed what came before.)

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