Black Narcissus Review: 3 Ups And 5 Downs Review

9. Up - Performances

The BBC has a knack of attracting some pretty big names to its Christmas productions (Guy Pearce played Scrooge with much aplomb last year) and Black Narcissus is no exception. Gemma Arterton, Diana Rigg, Jim Broadbent and Alessandro Nivola (Castor Troy's kid brother from Face/Off) all make for an impressive list of thespians to bring the tale of lust, repression and redemption to life.

Arterton's beauty is self evident, those razor-sharp cheek bones fit surprisingly well into a wimple, lending her an instant air of mystery - why would she join a convent? Racked with guilt over her past, Clodagh must juggle the practical needs of the community with their spiritual health also but can she succeed where others have failed? Arterton wears the strain all over her framed visage extremely well indeed.

Nivola is also impressive - he swanks about the palace dressed as Indiana Jones (serious cosplayers will zoom straight in on that familiar looking battered leather jacket) with a confidence that makes for a natural and subtle performance, although the function of his character is ultimately lost in the script.

Broadbent is criminally underused (but superb as usual) and Rigg channels The Queen Of Thorns from Game Of Thrones for an equally authoritative role - one can't help but wonder what a younger Rigg would've done with the lead part of Clodagh herself. Nonetheless, the talent is heavily on display here.