Articles + Quotes on Film & TV

 There have been many films told about this period. This one manages a new way of showing - a feat that you would not think possible but it's true, this has been done. Original storytelling exists. Even in a film that puts the holocaust on screen and dares you to look away with a woman who strode forth with her camera. We are meant to remember so that it doesn't happen again. Any filmmaker that delves into this period - into this time when humanity was hanging by a thread, therefore has an enormous responsibility to make sure they treat the dead with respect and dignity.  That responsibility was met and in tandem, they created a beautiful portrait of a woman who would not be beaten, or boxed up with neat words. Kate Winslet delivers an absolute powerhouse performance as Lee Miller, one for the ages and that future actors should aspire to. The best kind of historical figure portrayals are ones that don't shy away from the ugly side - a portrayal that is multilayered, the gre...

 I was absolutely thrilled when I heard that one of my favourite books, The Radleys by Matt Haig, was going to be adapted into a film. And I was not disappointed in the slightest by the adaptation. Yes, some elements of the story were changed but they were done so with care and grace by the filmmakers. Euros Lyn as director, portraying the detailed world of the story, in small town England and all the trappings. The screenplay by Talitha Stevenson, Jo Brand and Matt Haig - as I said, not a carbon copy of the book, but it was moving and seductive in its telling, just like the book was. Having Damian Lewis portray both brothers - Will and Peter Radley was a masterstroke, especially given how the family history concerning Helen was played out. Mr Lewis' performances - a masterclass in acting. And speaking of Helen, Kelly Macdonald's performance was just absolutely tragically beautifully done. Ms Macdonald has been giving the viewing audience spectacular performances from day one s...

 As I've said, some historical figures will be portrayed more than others and it is all the more exciting when one of the lesser known ones is given their chance to shine. With this one, it is Catherine Parr in the hot seat - and I mean that in every sense of the word. The Tudor court towards the later years of Henry VIII's life was full of pitfalls and dangers and regardless of your rank or apparent popularity, your life was always one step away from disaster and a very painful death. For those unaware of the history, in 1536 Henry VIII was in a jousting accident. Not only was he out cold for an hour or more and historians now believe that he suffered some serious damage to his front temporal lobe - the part of the brain focussed on personality. But on top of that, the weight of the horse landing on his leg, led the skin to literally split and tear, causing ulcers that never healed properly.  And it wasn't as though he was a happy go lucky monarch to begin with. So almost ...

 Unless your life and career path have gone in a very specific direction, there are some worlds which remain behind closed doors.  Which makes it all the more thrilling when a filmmaker opens those doors and let you in on the secret. Whether it's inside the Vatican and the process involved in selecting a new Pope, or New York City on the 11th of October 1975 and the first ever episode of a TV show called Saturday Night is about to go live, you're the lucky passenger along for the ride and it's a rollercoaster from beginning to end.  For the first, director Edward Berger, writers Peter Straughan and Robert Harris has crafted a heightened thriller. The director and cinematographer do well in utilising the building's architecture to properly portray the might and majesty of the Catholic Church, and in doing so, the men within and how closed off and claustrophobic it must feel - and in so doing, puts us in the same frame of mind.  We are joining Cardinal Lawrence on this...

 Tonally, this series is quite the refreshing change from the usual spy thriller - which aside from a few standouts, has lagged a little over the years - makes this one feel like a bubbly, fizzy lime juice cordial that has a few unexpected flavours - like aniseed, perhaps. The twists and turns are fun and exciting and it just makes for a great show overall. One of the main differences from others in this genre, is that the main relationship between the two protagonists is that of a friendship, as opposed to a budding romance. It makes the series itself feel grounded, even when the bullets and knives are flying and like every other crazy story, suspending the disbelief a little higher than usual. In this friendship, you have Helen and Sam - Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw respectively, whose banter and close connection make for some of the lighter moments of the show, even if Helen's face might be covered in blood or Sam is holding a shotgun. The storytellers have balanced the eleme...

 It is always refreshing to see a film or simply, a story, progress along its route, purely informed by the characters and their own motivations and the circumstances in which they live.  Whether it is the sixties in the American Midwest or the thirties in London, the principle and the tangled web that they weave among themselves and seemingly insignificant others, the appeal remains the same and keeps a strong hold on you from beginning to end. In both, you have a main character who will act as they see fit, regardless of how it affects others around them, as long as their life remains the same. The circumstances of both have times and attitudes who would either turn a blind eye or an indifferent one. The authorities in both are scornful and resentful but they appear when it seems right to act.  You, the viewer, see the seeds of their own downfall early on. They appear in the background, looked down on and dismissed by the main character, but in the back of your mind, yo...