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andywatters
Reviews
McMafia (2018)
A few niggles
As much as I am enjoying the new BBC drama McMafia, I am not understanding why the picture quality is so poor on BBC HD. Some of the scenes and James Norton's hair looks like it's had a blue rinse or he is wearing a plastic moulded wig - much like a 60's Beatles wig I used to own.
Episode three and the story is moving along nicely, but I was slightly uneasy with Mr. Norton's role last night. I was brought out of the story a number of times by an awareness of his having to rely almost solely on providing a selection of varying facial expressions for the whole hour, rather than offer any verbal responses. The number of smiles he was asked to perform; mostly of the forced type to signify he was happy, when underneath we knew he was in turmoil. This was his default facial expression last night. There was also the blank, deep in thought look, where we were to believe he was thinking deeply about his situation and was being troubled with the decisions he had to make, given the earlier decisions he HAD already made, which had thence put him in that situation of having to look pensive. I found myself willing him on to say something - even something bland; making conversation, anything to take away my feeling that he was running out of facial options to signify he wasn't at all happy with his situation. Dare I say, after episodes one and two, I found Mr. Norton's character rather dull and boring last night.
And as for his girlfriend - I thought women were supposed to be more aware and able to sense when something was wrong. She spent most of last night in 'bubbly' mode - drinking the stuff and playing the same. Her smiles were open and generous, accompanied by short bursts of laughter; not able to sense that anything was wrong with her partner's state of mind, who hardly spoke a word to her or to anyone else for the whole episode. Pretty dim that girl.
One other thing struck me last night. I could understand James' Norton's character checking up on his Harvard acquaintance's identity, which he did on his laptop while in bed with his girlfriend; even showing her the photograph of the completely different person that bore no resemblance to the person they were to meet in the South of France. But why show his girlfriend? Surely the last thing he would want is for her to be suspicious or even guess that something may be amiss? Unless there was to be a very specific plot development based on her having seen this photograph, then I'm slightly flummoxed at this having occurred.
Anyway, just to make it perfectly clear, I am enjoying this Sunday night drama very much. And it's for that reason I want for it to be perfect.
Close to the Enemy (2016)
The Comic Strip presents...........
First thing that stood out as odd, apart from the leading man, was the overlaying of the music. Too much and in all the wrong places. As to the lead - someone should teach him how to walk properly. And what was that accent? He was like a bad cross between Cary and Hugh. And his brother, a small boy in a coat two sizes too big for him, punching above his weight.
SPOILER ALERT!
Why didn't the blackshirts return en-masse and give his brother a proper bashing?! Instead, conveniently, the brothers get separated again, only for brother Callum to return and save his younger brother from a lone blackshirt - this whole scene a cringer.
I expected the dialogue to be of the wooden variety but not to such an extent. A spoof but without the laughs.
Sets were great, production values obvious. Only the acting, casting and dialogue that lets it down.