Critic Reviews

The insistent intertwining of the pain with the laughter, instead of flattening the tale into a Wodehouse-with-women yarn, makes this adaptation feel like a classic in its own right. It is a treat for all.

Both Linda and Fanny’s relationships become most interesting through what both of them try to convince themselves of: each other, their lovers, and the rest of the world regarding their happiness and relative stability.

James relaxes more into her role than she did on her last outing, as a lovestruck archaeologist in The Dig. Fox has a ball in a part he was born to play. ... This adaptation, for all its technical proficiency, crisp one-liners and confident performances, sometimes feels a little chilly.

Mitford purists may take issue with Mortimer's contemporary touches and some might say it is often too mannered and arch, making the characters superficial. But The Pursuit of Love is glorious Sunday evening fayre and, in following Mitford's lead in "avoiding earnestness at all costs", Mortimer has definitely succeeded.

[Emily Mortimer] has crafted a story that feels simultaneously true to its period and modern, with life and energy exploding off the frame. Between her use of contemporary music (soundtrack cuts include Cat Power, Sleater-Kinney, and Marianne Faithfull, among many others), lovingly detailed tableau shots, and strategically deployed chyrons, Pursuit at times feels like what you would get if you hired Wes Anderson to make a Masterpiece Theatre.

It’s amusing, charming, and focused, like so many classics, on a sense of the corners in which society forces women. As wonderfully specific as these characters are, they are serving broader points about a claustrophobic milieu.

Without sacrificing humor or social commentary, Mortimer thrillingly modernizes The Pursuit of Love by ratcheting up the romance in unexpected ways. ... This new lens hardly detracts from Linda’s magnificent saga. In fact, viewing her through Fanny’s adoring eyes only enhances its colors.

Stylish, whimsical, energetic, broad and modern; it is a case of 2021 looking back 80, 90 years, with a contemporary opinion about how things were, and are.

Scott is a joy to watch; he is consistently, convincingly vivacious—the embodiment of Mitford charm. ... This is a period drama that makes fun of its period’s stuffiness, playing on its stilted conventions. ... The adaptation is also funny, and not shy, on certain unflattering truths regarding motherhood.

Each episode was a joy and a pleasure to watch – and when it comes to Sunday night TV, you can’t ask for more than that.