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Pride and Prejudice (1995)
Firth/Ehle Perfectly Capture Darcy & Elizabeth
Jane Austen would have loved this interpretation, I'm sure! Colin Firth perfectly captures the haughty Mr. Darcy and his transformation as he realizes his love for Elizabeth. (And he's extremely easy on the eyes!) Jennifer Ehle is equally brilliant as the spirited and outspoken Elizabeth who learns a thing or two about her own shortcomings. The scene where Elizabeth and Darcy's eyes meet across the room--oh, swoon! It is the single most romantic moment in film I've ever witnessed.
The rest of the cast is perfect, the production superb. It's a must-have in my DVD collection.
Ordeal by Innocence (2018)
Boring and Unlikable Characters
Turned it off 30 minutes in. Not a single character is likable to slog through this snooze fest. The actors seem stiff and self-aware. If you don't care about any of the characters, you can't get vested in the plot. Yawn.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (1984)
Brett is the ONLY Holmes
Everything about this series is superb. The production quality and attention to detail are excellent. The cast is consistently excellent, including both David Burke and Edward Hardwicke as Dr. Watson. But the crown jewel is Jeremy Brett. For me, there will never be another actor who captures the essence of Holmes like Brett. His precise diction, the physical idiosyncrasies, his moods, his powers of observation--it's all a tour de force. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle surely would approve of this fantastic television series, one of the best shows I've ever watched.
Jack Ryan (2018)
Predictable plot, wooden acting,
I really like John Krasinski and Wendell Pierce, so I was looking forward to this series. It has been a letdown. Krasinski is miscast as Jack Ryan, and his performance is so wooden that it's painful. There is absolutely no chemistry between him and Abbie Cornish, who plays Ryan's romantic interest Cathy Mueller (who was an eye surgeon in the books but is now an infectious diseases specialist). The complexity of the plot is woefully weak and you can see easily predict what's coming next. There are those who thought Ben Affleck was terrible as Ryan in The Sum of All Fears. Krasinski makes Affleck's acting look Oscar-worthy. They love to use the F word, too. I'm no prude but it's overdone and distracting. Tom Clancy would be disappointed.
I, Tonya (2017)
Should Be Advertised as Pure Fiction
Don't expect a film that reveals the untold truth about Tonya Harding. This is pure fantasy. If Harding were running for political office, this would have been funded by her supporters (if she had any) to paint her in a completely different light from the truth.
First of all, Margot Robbie is FIVE inches taller than Harding with a much slimmer (less athletic) physique. Putting a 90's hairdo and makeup on her doesn't come close to transforming her into a believable replica of Harding. She also speaks with a southern accent--Harding was from the Portland area, where people are hardly known for their drawls--and the CGI dubbing of Robbie's face onto the skater standing in for her was obvious and awful.
But the worst part is the story. Harding is a criminal who has admitted that she played a role in the attack on her rival, Nancy Kerrigan, who is something of an afterthought in this movie rather than the victim. Harding is portrayed as a victim and suddenly we're supposed to feel sorry for her because she endured a rough upbringing and marriage. Lots of people have crappy childhoods and marriages, but they don't plan assaults on others to get ahead.
Many of the major players in this so-called "biopic" were not interviewed by the screenwriter, who tells the story sort of like the media reports on news these days--making stuff up as they go along without substantiating anything. Is it possible that Harding's mother was as much a villain as Janney portrayed? Sure, it's possible, but remember, the old gal worked 3 jobs at times to give Harding the opportunity to skate and if she wasn't interviewed for the film, then we are only hearing one side of the story and it is likely far from the truth. Harding was known for clashing with just about everyone, including those coaches who tried to help her, and she was always rough around the edges, making her less than palatable to the admittedly snobby figure skating world.
Kerrigan remains the victim and this film victimizes her all over again, this time by painting Harding as some pathetic creature whom we should absolve of any complicity or responsibility for her actions simply because her mommy didn't love her. Abuse is not an excuse.
Do yourself a favor; save your $12, look at videos on YT, and see what really happened 24 years ago.