Lillie: DVD Review (2008)

From the BBC by way of Acorn Media, this fine 1978 mini-series stars Francesca Annis as Lillie Langtry, the renown Victorian stage actress who weathered her share of scandals, successes, men and disappointments while steadily climbing high up through the societal ranks.

Some of the most powerful men in London shared her bed, not the least of which was the Prince of Wales, while others shared her ear, such as her dear friend Oscar Wilde.

Though 30 years have passed since the series first aired--and though almost 80 years have passed since Langtry's death--it remains relevant, mostly because Langtry was a woman who, like so many of today's current rush of starlets, got by more on her beauty and cunning rather than on her talent.

As pop culture has proved, that's often enough.

Grade: B+