Articles + Quotes on Film & TV

 Considering this show lasted for 12 full seasons and ended well - ie, on its own terms, it should be clear that great writing and well formed characters made for a truly great series from start to finish. That's not what I want to illustrate here. I want to draw attention - deserved attention to this series for another reason. Rather, it is the modern representation of the community that stands the test of time. Not just the ordinary people - the full gamut that ranges from lawyers, police, employed adults, children, homeless people, students and financial moguls but also - drumroll please, the LGBTIQA+ community. This series began in 1993 - right in the middle of the USA's policies of 'don't ask, don't tell', 'don't say gay', the AIDS crisis and a general ignorance by the rest of the country. Which meant that any other series on television at the time - if there was a character from the LGBTIQA+ community, either they were not in the series full st...

 As I may have already mentioned in a previous review - I have read the book Les Miserables. In it, the character of Jean Valjean, as you might expect from the source material, has an entire backstory and introduction that gets five minutes at best in the stage musical. He is a ex-convict, he is helped by the local Bishop and he finds a new life. As the lyric goes, 'I stole a loaf of bread' but of course, there is so much more to it than that. This film takes those opening chapters and gives the entire story room to breathe and paints a beautiful picture of both Jean and the Bishop that Victor Hugo wrote about. For it is not just Jean Valjean's story that is important here, the Bishop has a past too that directly impacts on both men. Through flashbacks, we see the moments that set them on their paths, that influences their actions and informs their characters. Gregory Gadebois's Jean is a man broken by the penal system. If there had once been light in his eyes, that is ...

 It seems such a rarity nowadays that not only is a series solid all the way through from pilot to finale, that the finale itself closes the series with panache and an ending that provides closure for all the characters. And yet, that is precisely what occurred here. Marvelous Mrs Maisel, with its seemingly infinite budget for costume, makeup and production design, gave us memorable and hilarious characters that found their feet and were given a great send off.  I may be arriving late to this series but I'm very glad I made the effort.  Even without the stand up comedy that the character of Miriam 'Midge' Maisel finds she has a real talent for, this series is absolutely hilarious from start to finish. Some scenes I am not entirely sure how they managed to keep a straight face - what with the ridiculous moments and concepts that the 50s and 60s were known for, they were given a great script and brought it to life.  Rachel Brosnahan, Michael Zegen, Marin Hinkle, Kevin ...