Far from the Madding Crowd

Name: Far from the Madding Crowd
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: May 1, 2015
Duration: 119 min
Rating: 71
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Juno Temple, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge

2015

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Generally favorable reviews based on 40 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 67 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 67 Ratings

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Far From The Madding Crowd

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Movie Details & Credits

Fox Searchlight Pictures | Release Date: May 1, 2015 | PG-13

Starring: Carey Mulligan, Juno Temple, Matthias Schoenaerts, Michael Sheen, Tom Sturridge

Summary: Independent, beautiful and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a sheep farmer, captivated by her fetching willfulness; Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), a handsome and reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a prosperous and mature bachelor.Independent, beautiful and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene (Carey Mulligan) attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts), a sheep farmer, captivated by her fetching willfulness; Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge), a handsome and reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), a prosperous and mature bachelor. Thomas Hardy's timeless story of Bathsheba's choices and passions explores the nature of relationships and love - as well as the human ability to overcome hardships through resilience and perseverance. [Fox Searchlight]… Expand

Director: Thomas Vinterberg

Genre(s): Drama, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 119 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Graham Fuller

May 1, 2015

Director Thomas Vinterberg’s romantic rollercoaster honors Hardy’s rustic vibe. Remarkably, too, he’s made a thoroughly modern film anyone can relate to — it’s like a “what a woman wants” discussion set in Victorian times. It’s also an instant classic. Read full review

The Playlist Kevin Jagernauth

Apr 30, 2015

Handsomely mounted, this is a period drama in which both unspoken demands and stated appetites drive the emotions that simmer below the surface from the first frame. And though this doesn’t transcend what you might expect from the genre, few movies are delivered with this much craft and care. Read full review

Allie Gemmill

May 1, 2015

Vinterberg's Far From the Madding Crowd is a wondrous feat: at turns tender, dramatic, fragile and bold, it's the definitive adaptation. Read full review

Peter Travers

May 1, 2015

Vinterberg may rush the final act, but he gets pitch-perfect performances from Schoenaerts, Sheen and Sturridge and brings out the wild side in Mulligan, who can hold a close-up like nobody's business. She's a live wire in a movie that knows how to stir up a classic for the here and now. Read full review

Betsy Sharkey

Apr 30, 2015

Between the sheer on-screen beauty and the finely wrought performances of Mulligan and Schoenaerts, Far from the Madding Crowd has its appeal. Yet like unrequited love, one can't help but lament what might have been. Read full review

Liam Lacey

Apr 30, 2015

Feels like a missed opportunity to do a country romantic melodrama in grand style. Read full review

Alonso Duralde

Apr 30, 2015

Far From the Madding Crowd will no doubt captivate future generations of tenth-graders who couldn’t be bothered to read the book, but it flattens the complex characters and grand scope of Hardy’s novel into an airless and overly truncated CliffsNotes version. Read full review

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User Reviews

DawdlingPoet

Nov 20, 2021

I enjoyed this film as a period drama, with some big names in the cast (Carey Mulligan and Michael Sheen being the main two). The story is perhaps a little cliched but I enjoyed it never the less. Its very much a film about dashing men (both young and not so young) vying for the attention ofI enjoyed this film as a period drama, with some big names in the cast (Carey Mulligan and Michael Sheen being the main two). The story is perhaps a little cliched but I enjoyed it never the less. Its very much a film about dashing men (both young and not so young) vying for the attention of a pretty woman. A few years ago I wouldn't be interested in such a film but I did very much enjoy this, as the characterisation of the main character, Bathsheba Everdene, is very good - I found myself feeling both sorry and frustrated by her at different times. I like that Bathsheba is an ambitious and principled woman and I found myself wondering what may be next to happen, plot wise, as the film continued. Also, the film score is quite good - it certainly doesn't feel like a budget film and so I would recommend it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

LeZee

Oct 4, 2016

Three men like the three different seasons in a woman's life!

This is a wonderful drama, I have been waiting for such film to come and since its release, I have been looking forward to this day. The romance is the theme of the film, so not the entire film as what it looks like. Based onThree men like the three different seasons in a woman's life!

This is a wonderful drama, I have been waiting for such film to come and since its release, I have been looking forward to this day. The romance is the theme of the film, so not the entire film as what it looks like. Based on the one and half century old novel of the same name and the fourth film adaptation. I have seen only 'Tamara Drewe', but that was altered to the present era, other than that I've not seen any other version. Still, I believe this will be remembered as the best one so far.

I would say Carey Mulligan is the British version of Jake Gyllenhaal. Because they both make fine films, I admire their selection of the films. Mulligan was so brilliant here and in addition to that, Matthias Schoenaerts was equally good. They both made this film look so poetic, and so supporting cast including Michael Sheen and Tom Sturridge contributed well.

If you like periodic drama, then you probably would enjoy it. The story was excellently told. The three layered romance was narrated like three that happens in the different seasons. Like landscape change, how humans too transform was quite neatly briefed for over two hours. One of the best films in the recent time I've seen. The director of 'The Hunt' did a great job. If you like Jane Austen's kind of story narrations then you must try this, so I highly recommend it!

8/10… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

AliceofX

Jul 7, 2015

Far From the Madding Crowd is based on a book and it feels like it, more so than in other films. Things move so quickly that you can feel there is more behind the story, more depth that a film has no time for. It feels rushed and perhaps if I disliked the movie I might have minded it more,Far From the Madding Crowd is based on a book and it feels like it, more so than in other films. Things move so quickly that you can feel there is more behind the story, more depth that a film has no time for. It feels rushed and perhaps if I disliked the movie I might have minded it more, but I did not. Even as I went to bed last night I could not stop thinking about it.

That is the one serious flaw that I give to this film, other than that I absolutely loved it. Though that might be due to my pre-existing love for 19th century literature. This is definitely a film I would recommend to lovers of period dramas.

Carey Mulligan, Matthias Schoenaerts and Michael Sheen truly shine in this film giving their characters great depth. I felt truly pulled into their stories and their lives.

I can already feel this movie will be on my 2015's top movies list.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

GreatMartin

May 8, 2015

Is it fair to judge a film against 5 previous productions of the film? Or a TV version? Or the classic book it is based on? This review is based solely on the 2015 movie production of “Far From The Madding Crowd”.

Carey Mulligan plays Bathsheba Everdene, a young lady in 1874 who is anIs it fair to judge a film against 5 previous productions of the film? Or a TV version? Or the classic book it is based on? This review is based solely on the 2015 movie production of “Far From The Madding Crowd”.

Carey Mulligan plays Bathsheba Everdene, a young lady in 1874 who is an independent thinker, even before she becomes independently wealthy with the death of her aunt inheriting a rich farm, being pursued by three men.

The first man in her life, Matthias Schoenaerts, who proposes marriage and she turns down, is Gabriel, a virile looking acting man who owns a farm which he soon loses and goes to work for Bathsheba. In spite of her turning him down he remains loyal to her always ready to help when she needs help. Her second proposal comes from William, played by Michael Sheen, a wealthy farmer, an older man who offers her security while the third, Tom Sturridge, playing ‘bad boy’ Army man Troy , on the rebound from losing a woman he loves, Juno Temple, playing Fanny Robin, who went to the wrong church on the day of her marriage leaving the soldier high and dry.

The film reaches for an epic feeling, but falls short, with the musical score sometimes overpowering a scene and at other times the photography of the beauty of Dorset, England, make it hard to listen to the dialogue of the screenplay’s David Nicholls, based on the Thomas Hardy novel. Where the director, Thomas Vinterberg, and Nicholls, fails the fine performances by the actors is not giving them enough explanation and depth for events that take place.

One disturbing aspect is the make-up department’s failing at certain points. For example when the beauty of Bathsheba is talked about and there is a close up of her face she obviously has a ‘growth’, maybe a pimple, on the top part of her nose that comes and goes from scene to scene and is obvious enough to be talked noticed.

“Far From The Madding Crowd” has some good acting, gives a feeling of the place and time that the story takes place, certainly captures the beauty of the country side, but just stops short of getting the film-goer pulled into the story.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

John935

Sep 19, 2015

I'm still pondering this the day after, so I give it a favorable rating. Casting is good but not great. Carey M hits all the right notes, in succession, but she seldom hits chords. In other words, I find her performance a bit superficial as opposed to layered. Sturridge as Sgt Troy isI'm still pondering this the day after, so I give it a favorable rating. Casting is good but not great. Carey M hits all the right notes, in succession, but she seldom hits chords. In other words, I find her performance a bit superficial as opposed to layered. Sturridge as Sgt Troy is baffling. He's apparently supposed to be super-goodlooking but his appeal just seems odd. The other 2 suitors are excellent. The story seems a little silly (no doubt that's not what Hardy intended) but the brisk pace holds our attention and the film is captivating visually.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

lasttimeisaw

Jul 29, 2015

A double-bill of two film adaptations of Thomas Hardy’s novel, about a Victorian liberated and strong-willed girl named Bathsheba Everdene (Mulligan/Christie), who is an orphan but fortuitously inherits a farm from her late uncle, but in due course, her romantic entanglements with three veryA double-bill of two film adaptations of Thomas Hardy’s novel, about a Victorian liberated and strong-willed girl named Bathsheba Everdene (Mulligan/Christie), who is an orphan but fortuitously inherits a farm from her late uncle, but in due course, her romantic entanglements with three very different men, the honest and devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak (Schoenaerts/Bates), the wealthy, middle age bachelor William Boldwood (Sheen/Finch) and a hot-headed sergeant Frank Troy (Sturridge/Stamp), will teach her a hard lesson with a shocking third act.

keep reading my review on my blog, please google: cinema omnivore, thanks!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

hotfromcauldron

May 3, 2015

Hardy’s “Madding” begins as a smart Taming of Bathsheba but ends a baa'd Fifty Shades of Hay - as feminist turns to fool. Men - Gabriel - a sheep farmer whose flock goes a stray- William- a loner with wealth - and Frank- a soldier with a wandering sword- fall at her feet but this virgin galHardy’s “Madding” begins as a smart Taming of Bathsheba but ends a baa'd Fifty Shades of Hay - as feminist turns to fool. Men - Gabriel - a sheep farmer whose flock goes a stray- William- a loner with wealth - and Frank- a soldier with a wandering sword- fall at her feet but this virgin gal fights for equal pay, free choice and independence until her private parts cause a brain fart. Far from a frenzy - one loses all respect for our heroine by the final frame when her life’s fate is sealed with a kiss.… Expand

2 of 5 users found this helpful23

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