Having seen the television version before reading the books, I can heartily recommend the video version over the print one. It takes liberties with stories, as any script-from-a-book would, but stays close to the characters. The chemistry between Lynley and Havers grows nicely, with a wall that will never go away that keeps any romantic entanglements out of the picture. As much as some might like to see that, it would ruin a really good friendship between unlikely people. The episodes are well shot, in beautiful locations, and constructed in a way that keeps you wondering how they're going to find their way to the end of this episode. The shame is that they were cancelled before being allowed to have one wrap-up episode. A good watch, but don't worry about reading the stories.
Reviews
9 Reviews
Bloody good
21 January 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I looked forward to seeing this film for several reasons - Burton, Depp, Rickman, Bonham-Carter and Sondheim. I was a bit worried though, as I have a limited capacity for bloody scenes. I did cheat and read the play before going, just so I knew when to expect a slashing, as opposed to shaving, blade. That being said, I was very impressed with the film - appropriately and richly dark and foreboding, details in every shot that put you in both the time and place, and an easy comfort with the musical score. Sondheim is not easy to sing, and everyone did very well, with surprisingly good voices all around. We've seen the crazy in Helena Bonham Carter in Harry Potter, but this is a toned down version that shows a nasty turn of mind and potential for mayhem bubbling underneath. Johnny Depp is always good at the slightly out-of-mainline-society character. Alan Rickman is equally practiced at smoothly evil or at least nasty characters, but here the hint of niceness and charm makes him even scarier. And in the end, the bloody scenes were quite bearable, while at the same time so close to being over-the-top that you got a sense of the madness in Sweeney Todd's mind.
Act of Vengeance
(1986 TV Movie)
Well written, well-performed bit of history
29 August 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I grew up in Pennsylvania, and although we were far from coal country, some news was so big, it got around. The Yablonski killings were all over the western end of the state when they happened, but we didn't really understand what was happening behind them. I'm sure some liberties were taken in collapsing events, but this film does a great job of putting the times, the relationships between Big Unions and Big Business in context, and the power of the common man to make, or try to make, things better. The cinematography really caught the gritty world of coal mining, and the areas in which is happens. This was one of the first roles I saw Charles Bronson in, and I thought he was terrific, probably bringing a much deeper sensibility to the part as a former coal miner and, as I understand, a card-carrying member of the United Mine Workers throughout his life. His campaign stops even had some very funny one liners you wouldn't think would work coming out of Il Bruto. I actually checked out some of his other films after seeing this one. The gang that couldn't shoot straight, but obviously eventually did, were such complete idiots you were surprised they managed not to shoot themselves, and were able to kill Yablonski only with Keanu Reeves' help. This film is probably only available at a library, or maybe a video store that doesn't clear out stock once a year. But it's definitely worth watching.
Death at a Funeral
(2007)
Very funny is a gently twisted British way
19 August 2007
I wasn't quite sure what to expect out of this, even though I had enjoyed the trailer in the theater. There had been some comments about cruel humor, which I just didn't see. The story was well structured, with groundwork laid early on for very funny bits much later in the film that got us laughing hard without hitting us over the head with the joke. The moments of comic tension were good, without that excruciating sense that someone was going to be horribly embarrassed, or hurt, or whatever, that American films seem to have. The situation is very well known to everyone who's been to a family funeral, although in America we would have the service in a funeral home or church, and we've all had moments when we want to laugh at the wrong time, or notice something a little out of the ordinary in the service that seems to cry out for comment. My husband, 14 year old daughter and I enjoyed the film immensely, and we all gave it an 8 out of 10, with some good carryover lines to quote amongst ourselves. Go see it, enjoy, and leave the political correctness at home.
The Notebook
(2004)
More than romantic love
8 July 2006
I saw the previews in the theater, realized the twist, and also that neither my husband or daughter would want to go see it. So I finally caught it on cable and was blown away. It's a beautifully constructed story, set in a South that doesn't exist any more, but with enduring themes that aren't dependent on a particular era. The part that really impressed me, aside from the rock-solid performances of James Garner and Gena Rowlands (and the others) is the way her illness is handled, and the way that feisty love plays out to the very end. My mother was not able to communicate verbally after brain bleeds, and for 2 1/2 years I talked, she listened, she nodded, squeezed my hand, and we figured out how to speak to each other. Even so, I don't think she knew who I was, or if I was even there, in the last year of her life. Just as Gena Rowlands came to see the staff as her family and caregivers, my mother did with the staff at her nursing home. But I could feel for James Garner's character, knowing she was there, and might give a flash of recognition. That dedication and love that lasted to the end was what can still call up tears as I think about certain scenes.
Akeelah and the Bee
(2006)
Scrabbling against formula and winning
25 April 2006
We saw Akeelah and the Bee after seeing it promoted in Starbuck's. While I anticipated formula structure - child of color in poor financial and social conditions, loving parent (single), bright but not feeling she can or should stand out, caring mentor who brings her out of her shell - I still really enjoyed the film. There were places that you knew could have been written, acted and directed in a predictable way, leaving no suspense for the viewer. And yet, the acting, directing and editing helped those key scenes rise above formula into something that you hope really could be possible on any day with the right people helping. Is this one of the great movies of our time? No. Is is a good film that both adults and children can enjoy? Definitely. And my daughter came home, and found an on-line site for Scrabble.
Monster-in-Law
(2005)
Fun, put-your-mind-in-neutral film
6 January 2006
While this is hardly one of the great films of our time, we watched it on PPV and enjoyed it. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the gags, and I generally do not like slapstick humor. Jane Fonda went over the top, but in a way that was fun to watch, if for no other reason but to see how she could top that last scene-chew. JLo did a fine job of portraying a woman in a tough situation, and I can appreciate the sleepless nights part of the film. And Elaine Stritch is probably the only actress I can think of that can out-tough Jane Fonda. It would have been nice to see a little more on the relationship between the happy couple, but that wasn't really the point of the film in the first place; it was an assumption against which the conflict played out. And for those of us who are lucky enough to have the absolute opposite of a monster-in-law, I could sympathize with both Lopez and, once Stritch was on the scene, Fonda. Was it Oscar material? Hardly. But it was a good laugh for our family and that's worth something.
Millions
(2004)
an excellent and thought-provoking film
1 May 2005
There are just enough scary moments to not make this a kid's movie, but it is very thought provoking. The questions of how we view life, and those people who inhabit our corner of the world are wonderfully explored. And those points that might have been more ham-handedly introduced are left to the viewer's discretion. That kind of information is really not that critical; it's the person deep down inside that is. I love the nativity play. In one way, it's a shame it didn't release at Christmas, but it's also good to see that part of the story out of context. The play is in context within the film and that's what matters. And finally, any of us could be Danny Boyle on one scale or another. How would we handle it?
I'd watch this anytime
10 March 2003
As someone who remembered how and where to crouch when the air raid siren went, and wondering how we were supposed to know when it was safe to come out, I have always cherished this film as a reminder that we're all human. It has every stereotype going, but it's okay - the characters are so lovingly drawn you don't care. I live in New England now, and while you don't see this version of xenophobic hysteria anymore(thank God!), you still hear the accents and see the regional quirks. Alan Arkin is dead on in his role, and as a student of Russian, I've gotten so I actually understand most of the dialogue. My daughter doesn't get the point of the movie, but then she didn't have duck and cover drills. I wish I knew when or if it were coming out on DVD.
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