Movies

John Adams Miniseries : Happy Fourth of July!

July 4, 2008

I feel particularly patriotic this Fourth of July! We just finished the last episode of the HBO miniseries entitled John Adams…. and ¡¡¡WOW!!!

Let me first mention that we don’t subscribe to HBO… And, that we have tried some other HBO miniseries/episodic shows, and that some of them are just a tad out of my particular comfort zone. Yes… It’s true… I get a little uncomfortable with gratuitous sex and violence. Call me a “square” or “old-fashioned” but those are just the facts, ma’am.

A very good friend of mine told me about the miniseries… and since Cora is a cozy-mystery reader… I knew that she would not be recommending something that was going to be … let’s just say… adult-situation-graphic! (Don’t I sound like a prude!?!)

My husband had already read “John Adams,” David McCullough’s bestselling novel, and had really enjoyed it. And, since this miniseries is based on McCullough’s novel… which is presumably accurate, we knew that the miniseries would not take some of the “liberties” that a lot of other miniseries take… tweaking more “juicy tidbits” into the plots so that they are more readily appreciated by the masses. Of course, my husband did notice some changes that were made in the miniseries for dramatic purposes, although they didn’t detract from the overall spirit of accuracy.

The cast does a wonderful job portraying the characters who we all (in the USA) grew up learning and hearing about… Cast: Paul Giamatti (as John Adams) and Laura Linney (as his wife, Abigail) are superb in their parts. Tom Wilkinson (as Benjamin Franklin), Stephen Dillane (as Thomas Jefferson), David Morse (as George Wahington), Sarah Polley (as the Adams’ daughter), well… the list goes on! We found the acting, the sets, the director’s view ALL exceptionally good. (Of course, if you are looking for a sanitized version… where you don’t see and almost feel what it must have been like… where you don’t see how excruciating it was to be sick back in those times… when blood-letting seemed to be a very common practice… where there is a lack of buzzing flies, then this very realistic (and, again, to use an adjective I use to show the superlative), phenomenal miniseries is not for you…

HBO’s John Adams miniseries did not disappoint! It truly is worth watching… And, it gives a true meaning of why we, in the USA celebrate the Fourth of July… We have these very heroic men, such as John Adams, to thank for the liberty we now know and enjoy!

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To Serve Them All My Days… BBC Miniseries

January 10, 2008

The To Serve Them All My Days miniseries is based on the novel (of the same name) by R. F. Delderfield. I admit to not having read the novel, but I have seen the miniseries… and I love it! It is not a mystery, but it does stand up to its BBC counterparts in that it is an extremely good production. The thirteen segment series was produced in 1980 and is set during the time between World War I and WW II.

The miniseries follows “David,” a soldier who survived WW I physically (albeit with a limp) but who was left with a somewhat shaky mental outlook… commonly known as shell-shock. Although not a teacher by trade, he is given a job as a teacher at an exclusive, upper-crust boys boarding school. (A “public” school… which to us in the USA translates to “private.”) David, the teacher, is beautifully played by John Duttine— who— if you are a lover of BBC/ITV productions, you will surely recognize.

David does not come from the privileged background that his students come from, and is not entirely sure he wants to teach at this posh school. But, with time, you see how David is able to identify with these boys who are expected to be “brave, little men:” while being taken from their families and placed into boarding schools at very young ages…

The cast is superb, the wardrobe is authentic-looking, and the setting is wonderful. I think that the only negative thing I have to say is that the series is simply too short. I would have loved watching more segments>>> actually, many more segments!

I missed seeing this series when it was broadcast on Masterpiece Theatre in the early 1980s so I was delighted to find it recently. I strongly recommend this wonderful production… even though it isn’t a mystery!

If you would like to see more TV and Movies suggestions, click here.

The Politician's Wife… miniseries

September 6, 2007

The two main characters in this (yet another British!) miniseries are such good actors that it is no surprise I was swept away with the intriguing plot. Actually, the plot was so good that I probably would have enjoyed The Politician’s Wife anyway, but Trevor Eve and Juliet Stevenson are such treats to watch, that they made it all that more fun for me. (Juliet Stevenson seems like she was absolutely born to play this part! She is able to convey such a range of human emotions…)

Trevor Eve plays Duncan Matlock, the Tory Minister of the Family who is Britain’s golden boy politician and a devoted family man. (And, of course, he would be…. since he IS the Minister of the Family!) OR IS HE?

Juliet Stevenson plays his wife, Flora. Her family ties enabled Duncan to go as far as he has politically, and she has worked tirelessly campaigning and socializing for his political gains. She has given up her professional aspirations/ambitions so that she can micromanage Duncan’s family and social life.

Enter a young Minnie Driver…. Need I say more!?!

This is not a miniseries for the entire family. It deals with several “adult themes.” I saw The Politician’s Wife years ago when it first aired on (I believe) Masterpiece Theatre. I was recently delighted to find that they had finally released it in DVD form. I did not, however, remember a few of the graphic “adult situation.” So, I again must stress… this is not a for-the-entire-family fare.

As the wife of the Minister of the Family, Flora is expected to do what any great woman who has been relegated to the background is expected to do: Stand By Her Man! I found the plot totally believable… even her father’s reaction rang true. And, Flora does just that, and more… much more!

(I cannot tell you more because the plot is one that is easily given away. As a matter of fact, I almost feel like telling you not to read the reviews that the miniseries has gotten from other sites. They are replete with spoilers…)

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I Finally Posted the Edgar (Mystery) Movie Winners and Nominees…

September 5, 2007

You know what they say about it being better to be late… Well, I finally made it through all of the Edgar movies that have been nominated and there are quite a few really good mystery movies that you might be interested in checking out…

1949 was an extremely good year… One of my favorite Barbara Stanwyck movies (Sorry, Wrong Number) was nominated, along with Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope, Call Northside 777, and the Big Clock. Wow! What a year for classics (and Jimmy Stewart!)… And, you know what they say about making them like they used to….

1955’s winning movie was Rear Window. Has anyone out there NOT seen that movie classic? The combination of Alfred Hitchcock, Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly… Does it get any better? Some may argue that 1961’s winning movie Psycho is "getting better" with Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh teaming up with Alfred Hitchcock…. I guess that is left up to each individual’s taste…. Both movies are well worth renting, purchasing, or taping off of late night television.

A movie that was nominated in 1958 was based on none other than Agatha Christie’s play… Witness for the Prosecution lost out to a true classic… Twelve Angry Men. Of course, a remake of that movie today would necessitate a different title… since women are now "able" to sit on a jury!

1965 threw me a loop… I could definitely understand how Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte won for that year, but, I can’t quite understand how It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World made it as a nominated movie. While I really enjoyed the movie when I saw it during my youth, I don’t really remember it as a mystery… I remember it as more of a madcap comedy. ("I’m coming, Mama!" is one of the scenes I truly enjoyed… with Ethel Merman’s performance as every man’s nightmare-of-a-mother-in-law, making me smile… years later, as I type this…)

Rather than go through each movie, here is the link to the exact page… There are a lot of movies that you might nostalgically recognize, which you just might feel like watching one of these days…

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