Sometimes, life throws us unexpected curves. What matters is not the curve itself, but how we deal with it.
The new Netflix film, Lady Chatterley’s Lover, is based on the book of the same name by D.H. Lawrence. The starts with the marriage of Constance “Connie” Reid (Emma Corrin) and Sir Clifford Chatterley (Matthew Duckett). It looks like it is going to be a long and fruitful relationship. Then World War I intervenes.
Clifford comes home in a wheelchair. They try to settle into a new normal, but whatever brought them together in the first place is starting to fizzle out. Encouraged by her husband to have an affair in order to extend the family tree, Connie starts sleeping with Oliver Mellors (Jack O’Connell), the estate groundskeeper.
What starts out as a release of pent-up sexual energy turns into something much more. Like all secrets, it eventually comes out. Connie could pretend that it did not happen. The other option is to do what her heart tells her to do and ignore the naysayers.
I’ve never read the book, but I have heard of it. If there was ever a definitive list of banned books, Lady Chatterley’s Lover would surely be at the top. Its frank discussion of sexuality and a woman making her own choices is as relevant now as it was a century ago.
I liked the film. It was well done and well acted. I felt for all of the characters, especially Connie. It is not that Clifford purposefully excluded her, he was just caught up in his own world and forgot to include her.
Do I recommend it? Yes.
Lady Chatterley’s Lover is available for streaming on Netflix.