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 ...

 While more than aware that there have been many adaptations of the Frankenstein story, this one really excited me.  Not just because Maggie Gyllenhaal was directing (although that was definitely a big part of it) but having the Bride speak and say what was on her mind was just thrilling.  The trailer gave us all a taste of what was to come but it was nowhere near the complete story - you weren't shown the whole film in two minutes which is always a massive relief - it just the beginning of the crazy ride that the film is. For all that Jessie Buckley has shown us thus far, it has felt somewhat like seeing a Ferrari on streets with a speed limit. Impressive - but you could always get the feeling she has so much more to offer the world. Here, we see her at full speed - and it is glorious. No holds barred, utterly fearless and a frenetic performance that starts at full speed and goes from there. In every scene, Christian Bale matches her energy levels - his performance is to...

 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...

 If I've said it once, I will say it again, whenever a screenwriter delves into the dusty pages of history, one has to take special care in the telling of it. Not only doing justice to the real people involved and not just honouring their deeds and heroism but also a fair portrayal of those on the other side of the coin. For the first of those two, American pilots in World War II in Masters of the Air, I honestly wasn't expecting to be drawn in so intently and be so invested in the survival of the main characters (all based on real people), production values - especially the score by Blake Neely, is set firmly at eleven. I suppose I was just used to the typical war films all big heroics and sending in the cavalry at the last minute to save the day.  This production is five stars all the way. The ugliness of war is there for all to see, they do not go light on any of the details - which means both sides show the horrors of what everyone did to stay alive and the overall series ...

 In the middle of year six, I started attending Helen O'Grady's Drama Academy. Typical education sneakiness of actually teaching kids the skills to enable them to be confident out in the "real world" and with the fun bonus of how to project your voice while simultaneously messing about on the "stage" and acting out improvisation prompts and at the end of each year, a whole play. Nearly seven years, growing and learning in community buildings, after school during term time.  Good times all round. And it was definitely part of the draw card for me, for this new film, set at a summer theatre camp that beautifully illustrates the allure of performing on stage, telling stories and bringing them to life, for both the kids that attend and the teachers - and it's hard to tell who is the more committed or passionate about the craft. It's clearly a labour of love for Molly Gordon, Ben Platt, Noah Galvin and Nick Lieberman - all four wrote it, the first three a...

 For your consideration today, two reviews for the price of one. The Bear and The Newsreader.  Not only do both series have a strong cast and gripping scripts for each and every episode but both also open the curtains for us to have a peek behind the scenes of a world usually off limits for mere mortals. We only see the finished product but here we see the shouting matches fuelled by emotional energy, impassioned speeches, tears, hugs and luck of the moment that brings it all together to make it work, that of a high end restaurant and the newsroom respectively. Both worlds also have that sense of the "other" family bond, strengthened by joint victories and triumphs and sour moments of failures made less painful by those in the room, bonded together through thick and thin to make a perfected dish or news television broadcast.  And indeed, they are not only fighting each other but up against the world, nameless - if not faceless, critics, ever judging, never silent and alwa...

 So, a film about the most iconic (female) doll of all time, with decades worth of changes, faces, clothes and identities, roles, occupations and people are surprised with the overall message of feminism that shines through every moment?  Let's be clear from the get-go: Barbie celebrates every woman, every identity and our identities are intrinsically linked to our overall power (or lack thereof) as women overall. For every step that we've taken, every day, some feel compelled to take us a few hundred steps back.  To use a technical term, we have been quite literally biblically screwed since the start - it was Eve who tempted man and we've been stuck paying the price for it ever since. And in Barbie - which the beautiful Helen Mirren voiceover makes clear from the first frame, has been a reflection of ourselves since her arrival and the journey Barbie has been on reflects how women have changed over the decades, what power has changed for us and by us. Yes, feminism is a...

 Like the saying goes, don't let the truth get in the way of a good story.  This production telling the story of how one of the greatest films of our time got made might not be completely historically accurate but it is still a great thrill ride from beginning to end.  They have their fun and explore some fun 'what ifs' with the situation and keep their humour throughout, even with suit executives breathing down their necks with their unwavering ideas of what a movie should be. And here we have Burn Gorman and Colin Hanks portraying those grim faced people - Charles Bluhdorn and Barry Lapidus respectively. It can't be easy being the constant naysayers but these two really do measure up. Every key part of the film which we now recognise as being essential to the overall greatness was fought tooth and nail over and we're glad that they did. Al Ruddy (portrayed by Miles Teller) and Francis Ford Coppola, here portrayed by Dan Fogler, were battling every day to get the m...

 Hollywood does love a good story. But when someone is feeling brave enough to hold up a mirror - or in this case, Dorian Grey's portrait, you better have not just a good story, but a real story with the skill to pull it off.  It's not just a movie to entertain, the people behind this film had a very real responsibility to tell it right and honour those brave people who were able to come forward and put their names and careers on the line. Brad Pitt, who doesn't appear in the film, is credited as one of the executive producers. No one is messing about here. And the makers behind She said definitely brought their considerable best to the table. It's based on real events, real journalism - the kind we thought had been consigned to the history books, proper investigative reporting of the systemic abuse in Hollywood, that had far reaching effects in every other industry.  Megan Twohey and Jody Kantor are real women, and one of the many things that this film did really well,...

 The first ever vampire production I watched was courtesy of Mel Brooks, Dracula: dead and loving it. It was scary but it was also very funny and made fun of the vampire tropes that were to come in abundance over the coming years. It remains one of my favourites, with classic lines and Leslie Nielsen's comedic genius shining through. In hindsight, probably the best way to be introduced to the genre, with a film that did not take itself seriously and laying the groundwork for the other undead creatures I would discover. Some time later, I watched the film Interview with the vampire and experienced the same sense of "not now, but hopefully later" that I did with the film Daredevil. Both productions had the impression of holding down and keeping out of the way elements that the world didn't seem to be ready for. And I think it wasn't just me who watched them (more than once) knowing that at some point in the future, someone would come along and give these adaptations...

 There are a few films that stand out from my childhood. One of the favourites was and still is Addams Family Values. Christina Ricci's portrayal of Wednesday Addams was something special and one of those characters that could be said to carry the film and the other characters along. Her sense of the world and her dark sense of humour is refreshing. To say I was overjoyed then to see the torch pass along smoothly to Jenna Ortega is the understatement of the year. Even in the pilot it was clear that the character of Wednesday was in good hands, the signature smile was perfect as the rest of her. And it's safe to say the rest of the show is just as brilliant. Tim Burton has a good grip of the reins on this one and the overall story is paced well and moves along nicely for a series that thrives on the mystery and the supernatural.  It's a darkly beautiful mix of the new and the old, with many nods to the original stories and characters and you can rest assured that they are al...

 Historical adaptations can break new ground in two ways. They can peel back the curtain and tell us the story from a point of view or character that is usually sidelined, or they can focus on a period that usually gets skipped over. Becoming Elizabeth has chosen the latter course and it is a masterstroke that seemingly reveals a new seam of gold in the caves of history. Of course, it was always there, those eleven years in which so much happened, and so much that Princess Elizabeth had to be either clever or just lucky to live through.  Her nine year old brother, Edward is now king, her sister Mary (Romola Garai,) is on the other side on religion (at a very dangerous time to do so) and has that chip on her shoulder from being the daughter that Henry VIII pushed aside more than once. Ms Garai's performance is perfect and I must say it's a delight to see her on the screen again in such a multilayered character as Mary. She may be the adult in the room, but  she still must ...

 There is a special kind of joy when an adaptation of something you love, is done so well. It doesn't happen often, a good example was when the film adaptation was released. It wasn't bad (mostly), it just missed the point of what the book was saying. Thankfully, for this one we had Steven Moffatt at the helm and he is someone who knows what it means to adapt a book he loved - just look at what he accomplished for the Sherlock series, another passion project for him and Mark Gatiss. They were both real fans of those books and their excitement in bringing it to life shows in every frame. And so too with this series, Mr Moffatt has most definitely captured the spirit of what Audrey Niffenegger wrote in what he has brought to the screen. It's not the usual love story by any means, so having it adapted as a mini series works wonders and allows for the story to include all the parts that delight but also the parts that sting and bring a tear to your eye. Theo James and Rose Lesl...