'Sublime' Anthony Hopkins drama based on Booker Prize-winning novel free to watch on BBC2

A BAFTA-winning period drama, based on one of the 1980s' most celebrated novels, will be available to watch for free on BBC2 this weekend - the perfect chance for a must-read-and-watch combination. The Remains of the Day, a 1989 novel written by Nobel Prize-winning Japanese-British writer Kazuo Ishiguro, became an instant bestseller upon its release, winning the Booker Prize for fiction that year. Four years later, it was turned into a Hollywood hit.

Directed by James Ivory, the film stars Sir Anthony Hopkins, in one of his strongest performances, alongside Emma Thompson in the two lead roles. Set across the years before and after World War Two, it tells the story of James Stevens (Hopkins), a butler devoted to his work at a grand English estate, both for his former master, a German sympathiser pre-WW2, and his new American boss who took over the estate after the war.

The film explores the complex relationship Stevens has with his former colleague, the housekeeper Miss Kenton (Thompson). As Stevens looks back on his life serving the house, the film explores themes of duty, loyalty and personal regret.

The film closely follows Ishiguro's 1989 novel, which looks into repression and the emotional toll that it can take. Although the film may not have the most gripping plot with no major twists and turns, its emotional take on Stevens' life and some memorable performances from the cast will leave you anything but bored.

Ivory's adaptation was widely praised for its faithfulness to the source material, with critics leaving floods of positive reviews over the coming two decades, achieving a whopping 96% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Hopkins' performance, in particular, was hailed as one of the finest of his career, portraying a man torn between following his duty or his heart. The is a stellar support cast too, featuring James Fox, Christopher Reeve, Hugh Grant, Ben Chaplin, and Lena Headey.

The film was nominated for eight Oscar categories, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Director and was extremely unlucky to miss out on a win, although Hopkins did win a Best Actor in a Leading Role BAFTA for his performance.

Leaving a positive review, one critic wrote on Rotten Tomatoes: "Sublime filmmaking and performances turn Stevens' every minute choice into a pillar of profound tragedy, giving us a maddeningly heartwrenching life lesson for the ages."

"The Remains of the Day is the perfect storm of writing, directing and acting," another added: "You can't talk about great acting without thinking of The Remains of the Day."

More than thirty years on, both Ishiguro's novel and Ivory's big screen adaptation continue to be seen as classics. Film fans can be especially happy, as the movie is airing free to watch on BBC2 at 10.45pm on Sunday, November 2.