Separate Tables

What an interesting concept! Having only seen the 1958 movie, I had no idea that the original Separate Tables was written for two actors to double up on roles and show their acting range. I did know it was based on two Terence Rattigan one-acts, and that Hollywood merged them into one comprehensive story. The first act deals only with the Burt Lancaster/Rita Hayworth reconnection, and the second with the scandal of David Niven and Deborah Kerr's reaction to it. It's incredibly interesting (not to mention great fun for the actors) to have one actor play both Lancaster and Niven's roles, and one actress doll up for Hayworth and dress down for Kerr.

In this filmed live production, Alan Bates and Julie Christie collaborate for their dual roles. They have wonderful chemistry together, and with four films under their belts, we can hope they were friends and enjoyed working with one another. I loved seeing the physical transformation of Julie, with hair and makeup to match Rita Hayworth in Act One, and glasses, a dowdy hairstyle, and slumped posture in Act Two. She's a beautiful woman, and the audience is always aware of that, but she does the best she can to act emotionally stunted and therefore unaware of her looks and potential in the second act.

The acting absolutely shines in Separate Tables. The story is a bit thin, and some might not agree with the message, but it's wonderful to sit back and appreciate great actors collaborating. Claire Bloom has the enviable role of the innkeeper, and she handles it extremely well with professionalism and control. She truly is the "matriarch" of her residents, able to handle all of their quirks, and make it look easy. Irene Worth is so realistic in her role (Gladys Cooper in the movie) that it's impossible to imagine her without her snobbery, nosiness, and opinions. Alan and Julie both transform, making the most of the script to build their characters and convince the audience that they really are two different people. This is a very entertaining play, if you have the right cast to watch.

Alan Bates and Julie Christie take on Terence Rattigan's fine brace of stories and give lessons in the art of acting. Bates is wonderful and Christie is nothing short of miraculous. A must see.

A model causes a stir when she walks into a quiet and gentrified hotel in Bournemouth. Every guest at the hotel dines alone; every guest has a story to tell.

Unlike others here, I haven't seen any other film or TV adaptations, but I did see a stage play many years back.

I've seen a few plays from the series, all have offered much, this so far is the best I've seen. This convinced me to order a DVD of the earlier film adaptation.

This is a sumptuous, decadent adaptation from the golden age of BBC costume drama. The story is wonderful, the script is first-rate, but the acting is the standout feature. The supporting cast is outstanding, the likes of Pauline Jameson and Annette Crosbie; however, both Eric Porter and Geraldine McEwan are outstanding as well. The calibre of their performances... let's just say we see just how good both of them are. I've never seen McEwan look so radiant.

I must credit the production and costume teams; it looks very good. Eric Porter's makeup is sensational. Had I not watched the Forsyte Saga, I wouldn't have recognised the Major.

One thing though: was anyone else hearing the introduction to Fawlty Towers?

10/10.

27 January 2010. This made of television version of the play, starring Julie Christie, Alan Bates, and Claire Bloom brings the play on the small screen, richly maintaining the feel and atmosphere of the staged play itself. The characters' delivery of their lines with the subtle and sometimes dramatic nuance strikes a deep cord into the human condition and intimate human relationships as well as the societal condemnation and humiliation and tolerance of man's indiscretion. It's difficult to understand the power of this movie, in its depiction that seems to be razor sharp in scratching deeply the human emotional core. By the end of the movie, one can be considered transformed in a small way for having experienced the raw tension, the human conflict and resolution of several intertwining human events and interactions that play to our basic human lives. An amazing experience. 9/10.

John Schlesinger filmed Terence Rattigan's famous play from the 50's pretty much as is - there's no "opening up" of the play, and the two one-act segments are not combined, as they were in the 1958 film version. The play itself is, no surprise, dated and rather quaint, though you can see it must have seemed fairly sensational stuff back in the mid-50's, with allusions to sex crimes and homosexuality. At its best, though, it offers a penetrating depiction of loneliness and the stifling nature of English society at the time.

Also, most satisfyingly, it offers a banquet of tour-de-force performances. Julie Christie and Alan Bates are splendid and moving, each in dual roles, and make a fine team, as they have several other times as well. Claire Bloom is understated and marvelous, as always, and the supporting characters are picture-perfect. This is a cast that could hardly be bettered, and they make this perhaps the finest version of this particular play we are likely to see. Worth while for anyone who loves good acting!