A few months back someone suggested this was a better film than Affinity and they were right. Simply speaking, the filmograpy made for a lighter less dreary viewing. I wanted to be with them on the English countryside. I wanted to touch the beautiful gowns the women wore.
We view this in two parts. First we see a young pickpocket girl sent to dupe a young somewhat privileged girl of her fortune. A "gentleman" introduces the pickpocket to her as a maid.
These women become close friends and eventually intimate in what might be lovers if the one girl weren't trying to cheat the other. Tasteful lesbian scenes that made sense within the context. If you're looking for something pornographic, this wont suit.
The well to do young woman lives with her rather creepy uncle who deals in pornographic material. He's trained her as his secretary, so she has a truly warped view of the world. She has no idea that she would receive an income if she should marry.
Eventually she agrees to marry the "gentleman" and with her maid's help they go off to a cottage for their first night. The man and pickpocket/maid plot to drive his wife mad and put her in an insane asylum.
(SPOILER ALERT)
The doctors talk to both the maid and her mistress and encourage the man to bring his wife right away to spend some time getting "cured." As the carriage takes all three to the nut house the maid is captured and dragged inside while the lady sits calmly refusing to meet her gaze.
I liked that the first half they did NOT telegraph this AT ALL. It took me by surprise. In the second half of this fine film we see that the privileged young woman wanted to escape her degrading uncle and the "gentleman" proposed the whole replace her with the maid scenario.
Plots twist and turn and conspirators turn out to be family. The clever maid manages an escape of the asylum and envisions revenge on the man and woman. It seems everyone does these women a wrong turn.
I've already spoiled the major plot twist, I'll just leave the ending for a viewing. If you like Dickensian drama with intrigue and betrayal, this will hold your interest. The lesbian action is limited to a few scenes in the first half. It's quite tastefully done and romantic, rather than titillating. And you just have to love the play on words, Fingersmith?? Too funny.
Look in bandon for this fine DVD.
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0423651/
Buy this DVD from Amazon: Fingersmith
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