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Reviews
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: The Blue Carbuncle (1984)
Utterly amoral
Of all the Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, this one is the least satisfactory.
Although the Countess is portrayed as a rather unpleasant person, there is no indication that she came by the controversial jewel illegally. I am vexed to understand why Holmes would not return her property to her.
The innocence of Frank Middlemass' character is quickly established, and the provision of a substitute goose is in keeping with the holiday spirit of the episode. So is the promise of a.£1000 reward to the totally honest commissionaire. And the release of the innocent Horner. But the episode does not show anything but the replacement goose being offered. How, when Holmes keeps the wretched jewel, is the Countess' Christmas not to be blighted, the commissionaire to be rewarded or the innocent man to be released from prison? It's not up to the standard of the rest of this excellent series.
Scrublands (2023)
Recommended
In some ways there is little here that we have not seen before, but the story built around some familiar characters and -- in some cases -- situations has its own originality. The characters are credibly human. Nothing is belaboured, which gives a freshness to the story.
It's four episodes, but they did not flag or drag. Nor did they race. The pacing is well considered -- it has the feel of a small town as opposed to the racier tempi of a big city.
Not being Australian and seeing only a selection of their television and cinema output, I was not familiar with any of these actors. I was impressed with all of them And I especially liked the music..
The Irrational (2023)
Disappointing
I like Jesse L. Martin, whom I knew from Law Order, so when I saw a new series with him I thought it worth a try.
From the description, I thought it might be an American sort of version of Professor T., a British series itself based upon a Belgian series of the same name. I rarely watch American programmes these days, but Professor T is intelligent and interesting and, importantly, transferable.
What a let-down. There is a through-line that could almost make me watch Episode 2, but I doubt I could take any more of the dumbed-down dialogue, the obvious "types" -- the simpering sister, the dull adoring students, the prospective romantic interest with an ex-wife in the background. I had the perp pegged after first sight. What is wrong with American entertainment bosses that they seem unwilling to challenge audiences? The latest on Professor T is that the new series will come out late this year, so we shouldn't have long to wait. It's not rocket science, but compared to this is looks that way.
Very disappointing. Just second-rate.
Dalgliesh (2021)
Dumbed Down Dalgliesh
I find Bertie Carvel the ideal actor to take up the role of Dalgliesh, and think he portrays the character quite well. What a pity, then, that the scripts are so appalling. I had just finished watching the original series -- both Roy Marsden and Martin Shaw -- in order, and once again marvelled at the excellence of how these complex stories and well-drawn characters were portrayed. Each one successively made me want to re-read the novels, all of which I devoured while in university. I was watching most of them for the third or fourth time.
I had seen the Bertie Carvel series, with growing disappointment, when it first came out, but I did not want to let the character go, so I watched both series again. As the others were now so fresh in my mind, I was horrified at the secondary casting. I can't think of a single one who compared favourably to the original casts. But the, like the principal, were hampered throughout by the stripped-down scripts and the simplified endings. The only two actors who had comparable quality to the roles' originators -- Jane Lapotaire and Michael Maloney -- were denied scripts that gave their roles any depth of meaning, and seeing Michael Maloney ushered into the police car completely ruined the whole point that the title of the episode suggested. The story in Shroud for a Nightingale was ripped through in such diluted form that the resolution seemed stuck on. With another "success" where originally Dalgliesh faced the frustration that dogs some of his cases.
There are many fine actors in these episodes -- Amanda Root, Richard Dillane, Stephen Mackintosh and others -- and if they had had better material they might have made the characters their own. But it is impossible when the stories are reduced to bare bones with simplistic endings. However I will watch the next series, and hope that the final scene of The Murder Room and its suggestion that the utterly misdirected Kate Miskin is really departing is fulfilled. Hinting at a love relationship growing between her and Dalgliesh is the ultimate betrayal of both characters.
I'm going back to the books.
Beloved (1998)
Keep it
There are very few movies I do not finish once I start them, and even fewer that I have walked out of at a cinema, having paid to get in.
But this was one of one in that category. I went with a friend, with whom I often went to films. I was sitting there hating it but not wanting to disturb her lest she was enjoying it. I suppose I squirmed, and after a bit I cast her a sidelong glance, which she quickly responded to. "Wanna go?" I asked, and she responded "yes" so quickly that we were out that door in seconds.
I don't give a damn if the theme was important or the book beautiful (I later tried to read it but couldn't get very far; despite having two very good degrees in English and still reading classics and real literature, unlike many of my fellow graduates, who drifted happily away from it once they collected their degrees, I cannot get with Toni Morrison. My failing, no doubt, but her style annoys me).
This movie annoyed me too. I am aware that the slave experience was pretty godawful for all concerned. But I'm afraid I do not want to be nauseated into a different sympathy than the one I genuinely feel. Anyway, I am not a fan of anything in the horror genre, and not especially drawn to ghost stories. For them that likes that sort of thing, this may have worked. For me, it was worth giving up hard-earned cash rather than vomit in public, or scream in outrage at being assaulted by something pretending to be art.
Brideshead Revisited (2008)
Unbelievably Awful
I have rarely seen a film that so misses the point of the book it claims to be adapting. Despite fine performances by all the principals in seriously underwritten roles -- it is clear that they know what they are meant to be, from having read the book or even seen the previous TV series -- and the setting, costumes and cinematography, the film is a caricature of two classics of 20th century art. It is astonishing to see a writer as accomplished as Andrew Davies attached to such a travesty. And the film actually makes Castle Howard, of which we saw a lot more in the TV series, look darker and more sinister. But it misses the whole point of the book, which is Charles Ryder coming to see that there is something beyond his youthful ambition to enter an enchanted kingdom, and his bleakness is a result of having spent so much emotional treasure on something less than worthy.
Silo (2023)
Episode Three
I'm not a fan of science fiction, or dystopian literature, or fantasy or any of those genres -- I only made it through one series of The Handmaid's Tale and was done -- but this got some interesting reviews and I do like a thriller occasionally.
The first two episodes got my interest. But I found myself listening to most of Episode three while watching a hockey game on mute. And my interest in hockey is on about a par with that of sci-fi.
However, as the episode ended, something happened that will bring me back for one more.
On the other hand, there are a few too many familiar tropes beginning to emerge -- sinister unseen authority figures, clearly nasty middle men...we get glimpses of real affection, but as many of untrustworthy people.
I now anticipate that the darkness of the Silo is such that I will -- unless something truly original occurs next week -- leave it until the last episode just to see if they...no, I'll leave it there. No spoilers here.
Beyond Paradise: Episode #1.5 (2023)
"My Truth"
I there is one expression I am sick of hearing it is "my truth." Most of the time, as in this instance, is is a synonym for a lie. Happily, the issue resolves itself somewhat, with the show essentially coming down on the side of honesty.
This show has potential, though, despite the great appeal of the two principals, they seem to be a bit of a drag on the series. Esther and Kelby, and even Margo, are working out as characters as they settle in, but Humphrey and Martha, with their backstory tragedy and the annoying presence of the usually welcome Jamie Bamber in a role that seems like make-drama, are downers.
The writers have painted themselves into a bit of a corner with this IVF story and the continuing presence of an infertile woman and a man who wants children. There is only one obvious resolution, which is a pity because Sally Bretton is a fetching actress and the two seem well suited and have a charming on-screen chemistry. And to be quite honest, the addition of a new baby on a struggling show -- if they use surrogacy, or the miracle happens and she manages to get pregnant -- is all too often a drag on shows.
Maybe the writers can come up with some solution that lets them talk their way through it. But I do not currently see it and, with regret, I suspect this series is doomed.
Law & Order: Heroes (2023)
What?????
As written, this one did not make much sense. Building a whole episode around a cop that "froze" is not very strong dramatic material.
I think this was about a white cop who did not want to risk confrontation with an armed black young man, lest it turn into a fatality. He did not want to risk being yet another white cop who might shoot and possibly kill a young black man. It does not matter if said young man is armed or not, drugged-up or not, on the run or not -- the cop is going to face being put through the wringer of crowd rhetoric, fomented by people who want to defund the police. Now that's a story worth examining, and a series like this is just the place to do it. But Law & Order and its stablemates have taken a passive role after years of carving out their ripped-from-the-headlines reputation for tackling controversial issues.
All that has left here is the weakest episode so far this season, which has hardly been stellar so far. And suspects were just written casually -- the boyfriend, who was the real coward here, is just dropped, while the shooter's motivation is very shallow. Dropped for another guy. Jealous. Ergo, kill? That's a more racist attitude to young black men than many.
The Mambo Kings (1992)
Wrongly overlooked
One of the greatest injustices of the Academy Awards is their not awarding a Best Actor award to Armand Assante, for one of the most note-perfect performances I can remember.
His every gesture, pause, sidelong glance, full-on look, tells hos character better than paragraphs of prose could. Yes, the film has some weaknesses -- it seems clear to me, though I suspect the film avoids the word or gesture that could have nailed it, that Cesar and Dolores fall in love at first sight, and stay that way. Especially when Dolores discovers on her wedding night that she will never be first in Nestor's heart. And the resolution of Cesar's relationship with Lanna is left hanging. But for both brothers, the greatest love is of one another.
The music, especially with Cruz and Puente, is sensational, and the bolero beautiful -- it is especially so in Spanish.
A lovely film, whatever its flaws, and a fine entertainment due to the music and the excellent performances by most of the cast.
Vardy v Rooney: A Courtroom Drama (2022)
Two hours of my life I will never get back
I had been vaguely aware of this trial, and the principals in it -- hard to avoid. But as someone who does not use social media, I was not much interested. However I like a courtroom drama and decided to watch.
I agree that it added nothing to my knowledge, sketchy as that was, nor to the sum of human understanding. I suppose the performances were fine. But the people being portrayed live in such a tawdry little world. I believe the outcome was correct, but, really, who cares? Coleen Rooney shares the trivia of her essentially meaningless life on Instagram to hundreds if not thousands of "followers," who for some obscure reason give a damn what a trophy wife with a hideous accent and pots of dosh does with her day. Rebekah Vardy, who apparently aspires to Rooney's eminence in the footballers' wives circuit -- something that presumably devolves from her husband's eminence in the game -- is so anxious to be a celebrity that she leaks information to a tabloid. If, as she stated, she wished to attain financial independence from these snippets, then The Sun is paying far too much for trash they could acquire by signing on to "follow" Rooney themselves.
The only thing I took from this worthless use of talent was to thank my lucky stars that I had resisted any temptation, not that I ever had one, to use social media. By the trivial for the trivial, and nasty with it. And if anything showed the vacuity of celebrity culture it is this. An adult woman sat in a court of law and could not recognise the term Davy Jones' locker. While throwing her employee, who for some obscure reason was not subpoenaed, under a bus.
The Responder: Episode #1.1 (2022)
I hated this
Gave it a shot because it had good reviews. It might be good, but one hour of it was enough to turn me off. I loathe stories about druggies, because I have no patience with them -- it's a rare film involving them that overcomes it enough to make me give a damn. And while I was a little interested in what sent Martin Freeman off the deep end, an introduction to some of the people he deals with was enough to make me think anyone would. I just can't garner enough interest to carry on with it and its generally unlikeable principals.
Off to search something sunnier.
Oh, and I'm with others: I used subtitles to follow it. And actually had to look up a couple of words. I'm all for regional accents and all that but sometimes I am with Professor Higgins: Why can't the English learn how to speak?
Law & Order: The Right Thing (2022)
What a shock
Carey Lowell was one of the most beautiful faces to watch onscreen -- great expressions, lovely features. God knows what she has done to herself, but when we first see her in her office I nearly had heart failure, she looked so awful. What's wrong with her mouth? Just look at the snapshot photo of her in the credits to this episode and you will remember her wonderful smile. Whatever she has done, I hope it is reversible. With her looks, aging gracefully was surely an option.
Not a great start to the reboot. Camryn Mannheim is a pretty decent actress, but she always has this attitude thing, and it seems to result in her just acting as if she were the all-wise one all the time.
But any show that features Hugh Dancy is all right by me. I remember him from a Kavanagh, QC episode (starring John Thaw, better known to many as Inspector Morse). The beautiful boy -- he was riveting. He has grown into a fine man.
Murder, She Wrote: Night Fears (1991)
Sloppy
This episode has its points, but it does not resolve the central issue: the mugger is not caught. The Wings Hauser character Evans) is nailed as the (accidental) killer of a student, and injurer of another, but the mugger gets away. Yet they all celebrate.
The stalker is a red herring who contributes nothing, and the premise that a university would put a celebrity in to teach a course is not quite credible. They were looking for enrollments in the department, so why not have Jessica, who was a long-time English teacher with by now considerable experience with crime, not teach a course on detective fiction, emphasising both the literary aspects and the portrayal of the police, forensic experts, etc., in fiction? After all, Six Days of the Condor (reduced to three for the movie) imagined an FBI -- or was it CIA? -- unit that researched fiction for ideas and the imaginings of writers on subjects like terrorism.
Miriam Margolyes: Australia Unmasked (2022)
Charming
Once again the irrepressible Miriam Margolyes takes to the road in her adopted country, Australia, and talks to people from various sectors of society to find out if Australians are still getting their characteristic "fair go." It is often very moving, largely because of her empathetic interest in people and their stories; it is scenic -- how could it help it? And it is informative about various strata of Australian life.
Perhaps not quite as dynamic as Almost Australian, it is nonetheless an un-put-downable watch. Margolyes is one of the few "celebrities" I have seen who genuinely shows what humble means. She lets others shine because she sincerely admires them for what they do. She is an inspiration.
The Razor's Edge (1984)
Rubbish
This film is bad on so many levels it defies description. To begin with, why make a film of a book if you are going to change elements for their own sake? Larry Darrell was a flyer, he was not in the trenches. But that change gave us 20 tedious minutes of backstory that never happened.
He was also neither a clown nor a rake. But Bill Murray could not resist being Bill Murray, and it was ruinous in terms of credible character development. We got as many minutes of his being a wise-ass as we did of his enlightenment, which apparently took 90 seconds of sky-staring.
While it is fair enough to take another look and not just recast the vastly superior 1946 version, it was a mistake to take the character of Maugham out of the film, as he provided a useful chorus and could make some of the lines that did get into this appalling script more sensible.
And key situations lacked clarity, particularly Darrell's accusation of Isabel in the death of Sophie. The book provided the lines that made it work. This script did not.
On the plus side, Theresa Russell made a good fist of Sophie, and there were some very pretty shots, particularly in India. But they were time-wasters, as was the battle sequence, which made more crucial developments rushed and superficial. In the end, the film did not make a decent job of providing Larry's dilemma, but it was better than the resolution.
What a waste: a great book -- probably the only one of Maugham's that rates that adjective -- that warranted a film remake got the wrong lead cast. Murray did try, once he dropped his schtick, but as an actor he is not and never has been up to dramatic roles. Gray and Isabel were pretty flat. Denholm Elliott was given a role that should have been a triumph, ruined by a serious misreading of his character and his relationship to Darrell. He never made sense.
A misadventure from start to finish, a vanity project for Bill Murray that left a remake of this wonderful book and original film decades away. Unforgiveable.
Sherwood (2022)
A compelling start
With one of the greatest TV casts put together since State of Play, this series promised to be interesting. But the first episode has surpassed my hopes -- the essential background to this drama is brilliantly sketched as we are introduced to the large range of characters, and it is beautifully written, shot and performed. It was so gripping I watched it twice, not wanting to let it go, and counting down the hours to tomorrow night. If it is half as good, the week between episodes 2 and 3 will seem an eternity.
We need much, much more drama like this.
Gaslit: Year of the Rat (2022)
Rubbish, and boring rubbish at that
Who cares about the psychoses of Gordon Liddy? He's about the least interesting character in the entire Watergate saga.
It adds nothing to the overall arc of a series purportedly about how a President got taken down. It never did.
Conviction (2004)
Sensational
One of the best police dramas I have ever seen -- and I see a lot of them. A very intense look at the ramifications of our deeds. Highly recommended.
Whitechapel: Episode #4.5 (2013)
Really descended
This series began brilliantly, unputdownably. But as it went on it sank further and further into horror and stupidity. I will see it out, as I have got this far, and Phil Davis is terrific. I like Rupert Penry-Jones, but I agree with the previous reviewer that his sicknesses unfit him for service. I was irked enough by the new "Chief" on Death n Paradise for his general unfitness (and hope he gets replaced, as I would like to see that series run forever) but this one wrote its own death warrant.
Rebecca (2020)
Why in God's name...
...would anyone take a classic like this, with a plot that WORKS, and stick in silly arbitrary changes? Riding with Jack Favell? Please. Putting Maxim in jail? Speeding up the whole dramatic denouement of the film, from the accident at sea that led to the finding of Rebecca's boat to the accusations and defences to the resolution of the reason for Rebecca's death to Mrs. Danvers' final act...all NONSENSE.
Yes, it looked good, though Maxim's clothes were dreadful (that yellow suit) and the actor was too young; Lily James was too pretty and sexy -- she is a capable actress; she could have been tamped down; Kristin Scott Thomas was not as good as they keep saying she was -- but that is because the character was not written consistently -- the coy "let's be pals" act in her bedroom (not in the book or any previous adaptation) was right out of character. The Frank Crawley was good. The spiteful Inspector Welch was out of keepign with the society of the time
As Time Goes By: The Bathroom (2000)
This character is appalling
I do like the overall tenor of this series, but the character of Jean drives me round the twist. I can't stand jealous, interfering and stupid women who are so gutless they resort to lies over everything rather than speak openly and honestly.
Time and again I wonder why people keep indulging her.
As Time Goes By: Problems, Problems (1994)
Jean is getting seriously irritating
I like a lot about this series, but Jean's jealousy and insecurity is getting out of hand and is neither amusing or character-building. I dislike the episodes with her sister-in-law, where she feels compelled to lie all the time. But that at least is explained and makes a kind of sense The eternal jealousy is just unattractive. It make some episodes very boring.
The Singapore Grip (2020)
Didn't work
I've seen it all now and as a whole it simply does not work. I don't particularly see the fall of Singapore, especially with the knowledge of hindsight and what happened to all the people who were captured or killed by the Japanese, to be terribly appropriate fodder for "satire." Ex-pat colonial leaders, yes -- but not just at this point.
I have not read the book, and doubt I would now as I can;t see how satire serves the subject. David Morrissey, one of my favourite actors, is as bad as I have ever seen him, though it is the material rather than the performance that is ruinous.
I love Singapore, and I loved Tenko and even enjoyed Serangoon Road, so I also had looked forward to this series. It must go down as one of the biggest TV disappointments of recent years. I only stuck it because of the setting and the period, and it let both down badly.
Midsomer Murders: Vixen's Run (2006)
Titles all wrong
The ghastly Sandra gives Barnaby and Jones a load of pretentious codswallop about titles when she becomes the incumbent Lady Butler.
She claims that because of her husband having inherited his father's baronetcy, she is now "Lady Sandra" and the widow and the ex-wives of the recently deceased Sir Freddy are now just "Lady Butler." In point of fact, they are al "just" "Lady Butler." They can only be "Lady" plus their own first names is they are BORN the daughters of Earls. As wives, they only reflect their husband's titles, and Sir Freddy is merely a KBE.