What I loved about director’s Stephen Frear’s latest film, Tamara Drewe is the fact that it was loosely based on Thomas Hardy’s Far From the Madding Crowd. In fact, the film is actually based on Posy Simmond’s graphic novel “Tamara Drewe” that was the one that was based on the Hardy classic.

I never saw the Julie Christie version but I fell in love with the story when I saw the 1998 Masterpiece Theatre production that starred Nathanial Parker as the loyal and hunky Gabriel Oak.

In Tamara Drewe, instead of Gabriel Oak we get Andy Cobb (Luke Evans) and instead of a sheep farmer, he is a horticulturist in present day Dorset.

Gemma Arterton plays the title character, a former ugly duckling (she had a big noise) who returns to her hometown of Ewedown a beauty (she got a nose job) and a successful career as a journalist. She has come home to sell her childhood home.

Her arrival incites the passion of three different men, the aforementioned Andy, who previously had a relationship with Tamara when they were younger, married detective novelist Nicholas Hardiment (the Bolwood of the piece as played by Roger Allam) and rock drummer Ben Sergeant (the Francis Troy as played by Dominic Cooper).

Since it is loosely based on Far From the Madding Crowd we get additional character such as Beth (Tamsin Greig), Nicholas’ long-suffering wife who helps run a retreat for writers that want to get “far away from the madding crowd” (just one of the few references to Hardy) and also puts up with Nicholas’ constant philandering. One of those writers is American Hardy scholar Glen (Bill Camp) who is finishing up a novel on the author and strikes up a friendship with Beth.

If you know the Hardy novel well, you know how Tamara goes through each of the three men with some achieving a different outcome for their character than others.

What worked for me was Grieg as Beth. She was funny and heartbreaking at the same time as you see her put up with such an ass of a husband that you don’t see why Nicholas would cheat on such a great person. Beth is friendly, intelligent, and beautiful.

I also loved the chemistry between Evans and Arterton. Despite what the characters say, their body language and easy flirting indicate that they are still in love with each other. The only thing I wished was when it became Andy’s turn to be with Tamara, I wanted a scene to see them get together and have drawn out beautifully like Masterpiece Theatre did with the 1998 version.

Arterton is okay as Drewe but I really want to see more range from her. I just thought her performance was sorta of one note and I think the best acting I’ve seen from her when she played the title role in another Hardy novel Tess of the D’Ubervilles.

What I didn’t like is the two teenage girls that wreak havoc on the plot, especially Jody (Jessica Barden), her crush on Ben was at times really psychotic that it was really scary and annoying.

However, that was about it. I really enjoyed the film, I laughed and again enjoyed the chemistry between Evans and Arterton.