An insane asylum, a den of thieves, a gloomy English mansion inhabited by a peculiar uncle, mistaken identity, a wealthy heiress, plots and double-crossing: yep, Fingersmith falls squarely into the Gothic genre. Based on the 2002 novel by Sarah Walters, the British made-for-TV production of Fingersmith heads straight into well-established Gothic territory, with just one abundantly foreshadowed departure from the classic Gothic.

The story gives us two young women in very different places in society: both are orphans whose mothers died in socially unacceptable circumstances, but Sue (Sally Hawkins) ends up an apprentice pickpocket in a London den of thieves, while Maud (Elaine Cassidy) is raised by her eccentric but wealthy uncle. The two would never have met under ordinary circumstances, but in a Gothic story, no circumstances are ordinary. In this case, a con man decides to enlist Sue's help to marry Maud for her fortune, and from there, the plot, as they say, thickens.

The risque elements in the film are suggestive rather than explicit, but they'll probably still titillate (or shock) some viewers, due to the homosexual orientation of the characters in question. (That's undoubtedly why the DVD carries a "recommended for mature audiences" warning; if the sexual elements had been heterosexual, I doubt very much that anyone would have thought to put that label.) But though it tries hard, I don't think that Fingersmith ever feels really comfortable with this material, or in fact with the emotional connection between Maud and Sue in general. It always feels a little too emotionally intense, a little too breathy and urgent. There's a sense that it's important for them to keep their feelings under wraps, but I'm not sure whether it's coming from within the film, with the characters stifled by their expected roles in Victorian society, or from the filmmakers' mixed feelings about how much they can play up the relationship without Fingersmith being dubbed a gay film. The very fact that I'm discussing this conflict is a sign that it doesn't quite work; I can feel the tension between story, "message," and audience reaction straining the fabric of the film. Sometimes that tension can add a fascinating undercurrent to a film, but here it just feels like a strain that distracts from the primary goal of storytelling.

I like a good Gothic story, and Fingersmith isn't bad in that respect; it offers a reasonably well-plotted story with a varied cast of characters and some visually interesting settings. It doesn't completely come together, though. There's an overwrought tone to the film that comes from a combination of different elements. The secondary characters are slightly over-acted, and the main characters alternate from being under-acted, with too much reliance on long close-ups to convey internal emotion, to edging into over-acting at key moments. In the end, it's a reasonable shot at a Gothic story by a modern-day writer.

The DVD

Video

Fingersmith appears in an attractive anamorphic widescreen transfer, at the film's original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. The image looks clean (as it should, for a 2005 production) and has a pleasing look overall. Colors are warm and natural, and contrast is handled well most of the time. Close-up shots look excellent, with a nice level of detail; middle- to long-distance shots look somewhat soft.

Audio

The Dolby 2.0 soundtrack is satisfactory. There's nothing particularly exceptional about it, but it carries the dialogue clearly and cleanly.

Extras

An 11-minute "behind-the-scenes featurette" is the main special feature here. It has a promotional flavor, but it does include some moderately interesting short interview clips with the people involved. There's also a set of text character profiles for five of the main characters in the story, a photo gallery, and cast filmographies.

Final thoughts

Fingersmith is a moderately entertaining Gothic story, one that tries to have a "twist" for modern sensibilities, but that never feels completely confident with its material. The production feels fairly polished, but it has a slightly stilted feel that never quite goes away. It's worth a rental if you're a fan of Sarah Walters, whose novel is the basis for the film, or if you're in the mood for a fairly earnest Gothic thriller.