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bobnessuk
Reviews
Smiley's People (1982)
Still Fascinating
There's a great anecdote from John Le Carre, that after Alec Guiness played Smiley in this and 'Tinker, Tailor.." he could only see the actor whenever he wrote future works about Smiley. It really is the definitive portrayal.
It's my yearly visit to this so I thought i would make a few comments.
Except for the ending, which couldn't be filmed in Berlin at the time for obvious reasons, most of this series was actually filmed at their real locations. So when you are at Hampstead that really is Hampstead. When they go to Charlton that really is where they filmed.
Finally. To those who say this series is confusing and slow, I guess it is a sign of the time when it was made. I dunno, with a few exceptions, I find the 2020's obsession with MCU or Police series pretty boring. Getting old I guess.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015)
InEscapable...
My favourite TV from last year was 'Fargo' while, on my side of the Atlantic, I guess it would be 'Wolfe Hall'
So when the Guardian (which is a very middle-brow, pretentious, chi- chi sort of read) did their top 40, "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" was their number 1.
Yea, Yea, I thought. Nevertheless I decided to give it a look.
And you know Wot? The Guardian was right, this is genuinely the funniest programme I've seen in ages.
It helped that the wonderful Carol Kane is in it. The last thing I saw her in was 'Gotham', where she has a very creepy relationship with her son (Penguin), but in 'Unbreakable' you really don't know what she is going to do or say next.
In fact it is the whole casting that works in this.
Titus, is a real find. I loved the episode where he finds he gets treated with far more respect when dressed as a werewolf than as a gay black man - I don't want to give away too many much, but there are so many jokes in this.
But, of course, the star is Ellie Kemper. I love that huge Cheshire Cat grin, the way she behaves exactly as a frustrated teenager would if she suddenly found herself 15 years older, I love the misplaced buzz words, the inappropriate gestures..
I had better stop. I'm trying to ration myself - I still have 3 episodes to go - as I'll be lost when I've watched them all.
So, in the bleakest part of the year, cheer yourself up and give this a go..
Cas & Dylan (2013)
Pretty Ordinary but worth seeing for the two Leads
I haven't written anything on IMDb for Ages, but Tatiana Maslany's appalling snub at this year's Golden Globes has prompted me to vent my anger in some way...So....
If you get off watching TV Movies about 'Life Stories' you'll pretty much know what to expect from this film.
"A dying Doctor, who plans to check out on his own terms, takes a reluctant detour when he inadvertently winds up on the lam with an 'anything-but-normal' 22-year-old girl."
Yep..that's pretty well it, but it does star Tatiana and Richard Dreyfuss.
Like meself, I'm sure most of you watched this because of 'Orphan Black' and wanted to see Tatiana in something where she is only playing one part. And you won't be disappointed. She starts by playing a part that, to be honest, is probably too young for her. However since her role is about someone who has to grow up and face reality, this more than compensates. In the same way, Richard Dreyfuss's character thinks that he can only face the end by turning his back on the rest of the world, yet realises that there is still time for new friendships.
You can almost see him warming to the part. There is some genuine chemistry (in a Father/Daughter way) between himself and his co-star as the movie progresses. Probably the best scene in the film is when her dreams are crushed and she says she is just "ordinary", to which Richard's character lets loose with that famous 'Dreyfuss' laugh.
So, the obvious question, can Tatiana hack it as ('just') a leading actress? Damn straight. Will she get parts in films which she richly deserves? Well..probably not.