A BBC period drama that has managed to stay under the radar for years has been hailed as an βabsolute fever dreamβ by fans of the genre. Despite its star-studded cast, the release simply isnβt mentioned as frequently as programmes like Downton Abbey or Call the Midwife β but itβs proved to be popular with Reddit users who are βnot sure how to categorise itβ.
Starring Hugh Bonneville, Eddie Redmayne, David Tennant and Bill Nighy, the 2009 war epic β released by BBC Films β follows the Keyes family just as World War 2 breaks out, as they try to keep their traditional way of life together. However, daughter Anne turns everything on its head when she accidentally discovers secret recordings of the appeasement movement β a strategy to concede to fascism to avoid global conflict after World War 1.
On Reddit, one fan said: βGlorious 30 is kind of a deep cut, and what a strange little movie. Iβm honestly not sure if I liked it or not, but it did keep me interested enough to watch until the end. Some of it felt like an absolute fever dream but Iβm not sure if that was the intention.
βThe cast is excellent, with the always lovely Romola Garai, Christopher Lee, Bill Nighy, a young looking Hugh Bonneville, Eddie Redmayne, David Tennant, and Jeremy Northam (who played Ivor Novello in Gosford Park).
βIt almost plays as a period horror thriller but Iβm honestly not sure how to categorise it.β
Someone else agreed: βIt’s a classic Poliakoff piece. Stephen Poliakoff is known for making unusual / quirky mostly period TV films/mini-series. They usually have a political and ideological angle to them.
βHe’s pretty divisive as an auteur, most viewers either embrace the Poliakoff universe or find it pretentious/hard to get into. I’ve always enjoyed his work, precisely because it is different to everything else.
βAlthough if I had a criticism, I would say his work is not always as deep as he perhaps thinks it is.β
A third posted: βI loved it. Im a fan of most Poliakoffβs work, and this for me is his last truly great work.β