Tag: Actors

“Garrow’s Law” (Series 1)

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Who’d have thought late 18th century London (just a few years after our American Revolution) would be such an exciting setting for a courtroom drama!?  The cases you see on this TV show are based on real cases of the Georgian era.  The protagonist is a confidant, intelligent, and passionate young man  ahead of his time.  He doesn’t just want to practice the law- he wants to change it (as the system is rigged heavily against defendants).  Hmmm… sounds a bit like the young John Adams!

All lawyers aren’t bad- LOL!  William Garrow, the son of a humble headmaster (principal), didn’t go to Oxford.  He learned at his father’s school, then studied with a mentor (a solicitor) in Billingsgate.  Being ambitious and energetic, he eventually pushed aside paperwork (writing briefs) and became a barrister.  He tried his first case at age 23- unthinkable in our time!  Garrow is the one credited w/ the the phrase “innocent until proven guilty.”  He didn’t play it safe, even in his personal life.

Garrow (Andrew Buchan, who had supporting roles in the newest Jane Eyre and Cranford) is an eager hothead when we first meet him.  His mentor, Mr. Southouse (musical theater and TV veteran Alun Armstrong), cautions him against speaking too boldy in court and losing the sympathy of the (very powerful) judges.  Garrow wants to address the jury, and does on several occasions, though this is frowned upon.

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MP Sir Arthur Hill (Rupert Graves, most recently seen in Sherlock), is impressed by Garrow’s performance in court.  His beautiful, well-read, and opinionated wife, Lady Sarah (Lyndsey Marshal from Rome) is also impressed.  However, at their dinner party, we quickly learn that Garrow’s politics are quite different from Sir Arthur’s.

 

Lady Sarah admires Garrow’s strong convictions (in line with many of her own forward-thinking ideals).  She often observes trials, sitting beside the judge and other notable people.  Lady Sarah even pays for Garrow to help a poor young servant.  Their mutual respect and admiration eventually grows into more (you’ll have to see).  Also, politics and his ambition create a big distance between Arthur and Sarah.

The dialogue on this show is very well-written!  (It sounds fresh, though it’s not modern.)  The production value is very high.  The sets, costumes, and music are all perfect for the period.  Buchan even looks boyishly handsome in a powdered white wig, black robe, and chunky heeled shoes.

Buchan played clergyman St. John Rivers, Jane’s buttoned-up (and very emotionally repressed) cousin/suitor, in the 2006 BBC version of Jane Eyre.

In Cranford and Return to Cranford, Buchan played carpenter/family man Jem Hearne.

NOTE: Do NOT read further unless you want to know details from S1 eps.

Episode 1

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You will learn that the law is not a game for gentleman. -Garrow to Silvester (an Oxford-educated prosecutor)

Garrow has been buried in paperwork, but gets a case at the Old Bailey in Ep 1. Everything was rigged against the defendant, as Southouse explains after giving Garrow the brief the night before the trial. He can’t visit his client in jail. He won’t be given a copy of the indictment. He won’t get to hear re: the evidence the prosecution has against his client. (Yikes, we’ve come a LONG way!)

The prisoner in the dark has too long been left to rot for want of counsel. -Garrow says to Sir Arthur Hill, a minister at Parliament

You lack manners. You were too angry and you lost control. -Southouse says to a disenchanted Garrow after his loss

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The second case Garrow gets is thanks to Lady Sarah, who insists that her involvement be kept a secret, b/c it’d be like “an infidelity” in the eyes of her more conservative husband. A young unmarried washerwoman, Elizabeth Jarvis, has been accused of “infanticide” (though she insists her baby was stillborn). Garrow and Lady Sarah interview the defendant in Newgate Prison (VERY unusual), then have an independent doctor (“surgeon”) examine Elizabeth, then the body of her deceased child.

How can it be an improvement in my court where I play a lesser part? -Judge Bullard says (bemused) to Lady Sarah during lunch break from court

Episode 2

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By now, Garrow has some claim to fame, and he likes getting the approval (since his parents are deceased). He (hesitantly) takes on the VERY unpopular case of a young man accused of cutting beautiful young gentlewomen in broad daylight. The defendant’s doting mother insists her son could never do such things, though he loves drinking, pros, and runs through money. The media refers to him as “The Monster,” and in time, so do the public. BUT just b/c a defendant is unlikeable doesn’t mean he’s guilty!

Episode 3

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This ep focuses a BIT more on Garrow’s petsonal life; we see that he has more to learn still (though in court, he has a way w/ juries). When he thinks Silvester insulted Lady Sarah (who Garrow is in love w/), he challenges his nemesis to a duel. Mr. Southouse is bewildered, thinking Garrow is crazy and needs to bow out. But Garrow’s hot-headed/stubborn side wins over!

The main case Garrow handles is that of a noted “thief-taker” (bounty hunter to us modern folk) who could be using less clever/scared thieves to commit bigger crimes for his gain.

Episode 4

We are of like minds, you and I. -Garrow says to Lady Sarah

Sir Arthur tells Garrow his good news, which could mean that Lady Sarah could be lost to him forever. She insists that she won’t leave her husband.

The crux of this ep centers on the case of a businessman/husband/father to 3 young children, Joseph Hamer. He has been imprisoned in Newgate for 3 mos. ONLY for gathering w/ those who think like him and exercising free speech. His wife, Mary, impresses Southouse and Garrow w/ her convinction and strength; she wants the BEST defense for the man she loves. There has been NO charge (reminds one of Guantanamo cases) yet, BUT Garrow will take the case.

Your case, Joseph, is played out in the shadow of the guillotine. They [the aristocracy] fear you. -Garrow puts things into context when he meets his defendant

Late one night, Joseph is dragged from his cell to a meeting w/ ministers of Parliament (incl. Sir Arthur). They grill the humble shoemaker w/ questions, BUT he asks for actual charges. Lady Sarah wonders what’s all the noise-the jailers and heavy shackles disturbed her quiet. She meets Joseph in the hall, and realizes that her husband MAY be on the wrong side of justice. Finally, Joseph gets his day in court, BUT the charge is “high treason” (so he could be hanged)!

Atonement (2008)

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Ah, young love!  There’s nothing like it if it’s done well (in film), but it doesn’t always end happily.  I went to see this film in the theater when it first came out; it stayed on my mind for some time.  I saw it again recently, and gained more appreciation for it.

Cecilia Tallis (Keira Knightley) and Robbie Turner (James McAvoy) are two young people in their early 20s who are spending a hot summer day on a gorgeous estate.  She is the old man’s daughter; he is the housekeeper’s son.  They both attended Cambridge- he w/ the money and blessings of Mr. Tallis.  Soon, Robbie plans to go to med school.  Cecilia is restless- waiting for something to happen.

The film starts slow, but it doesn’t take too long to see that Robbie and Cecilia are suppressing their intense attraction to each other.  Cecilia’s precocious 12 y.o. sister, Briony (Saoirse Ronan), has a huge crush on Robbie.  In the past, she has written many stories, bound them in leather, and presented them to Robbie as gifts.  He looks on Briony as a good friend, calling her “pal.”  (Briony is the central character in the story; she’s also the storyteller.)

Briony misunderstands several events througout the day and evening.  In no time, everything is shattered for the couple.  Being a sheltered and judgmental child, Briony doesn’t realize the impact of her words/actions.  Robbie is yanked off to jail; Cecilia leaves the family.  In time, he’s sent to fight in France; she becomes a nurse.

The first section of this film is particularly appealing to the eye.  We see beautiful flowers, streams, and lots of sunlight.  At dinner, Cecilia is a vision in a flowing green gown.  Director Joe Wright refers to this portion as “the time before the fall” (before WWII, before the lovers are separated).

This film really sets a mood.  At times, it may seem a bit too slow to some viewers.  There was great chemistry between Keira and James, and they look amazing together!  I enjoyed how Romola Garai (who plays the young adult Briony) did a lot w/ very little dialogue.  The supporting characters all fit their parts; Benedict Cumberbatch was creepy (in a subtle way) as the chocolate millionaire, Paul Marshall.

The adult Briony (played by Vanessa Redgrave) atones for her terrible mistake by giving the lovers a happy ending in her novel.  She creates an almost too good hero in Robbie.  Atonement made me think of all the young people (from many nations) who died b/c of the events of WWII. They never got the chance to fulfill their potential, have relationships, and grow old.

Entertainment Trivia: UK Edition

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Richard Armitage: The face that launched a thousand fan sites
 
 
My father’s family were weavers and spinners. It was where I came from and it was exciting to think I could be a part of it.  The dichotomy between the powerful, almost monstrous, entrepreneur and this kind of vulnerable boy is exciting for me to look at.  – On his North & South character, John Thornton  
 
I try to be quite a detailed actor.  People were really picking up on that.  Even if it was just a flicker of the eye or something, they got it.  – On the tremendous fan response after N&S aired
 
– He can play the cello, flute, and guitar.
– Richard joined the circus one summer to get his equity card.  Though he started out in musical theater, he changed directions, and attended LAMDA.
– Richard has been chosen for a key role in The Hobbit.  He’ll also appear in the new Captain America movie in Summer 2011.
– As you can hear, he has a gorgeous voice!  Richard has done a good deal of voice work: radio plays, novels, poems, and commercials.
– He describes himself as a method actor. 
– His parents names are John and Margaret, just like the leads in N&S!
 
  
 
Sean Bean: A (magentic) Yorkshire lad
 

I think there was a time I was linked to it but I suppose I blew it playing 006 [Alex Trevelyan].  They made a good choice in Daniel Craig.  He’s a very good actor.  He was in one of the first Sharpes we ever did and I gave him a bit of a battering. So we can always say Sharpe battered Bond.  – On Casino Royale (2006)

– Though his family lived on a Sheffield council estate (government housing) to be near their relatives/friends, Sean’s dad ran a successful small business.

– He can play the piano (as you’ll see in Clarissa).

– Like many well-known UK actors, Sean is classically trained (from RADA).

– The scar over his eye was given to him by Harrison Ford during a fight scene in Patriot Games.  Ford hit him w/ a boat hook. 

– Sean loves football (soccer); he has a tattoo in honor of his team.

 
– Wolfgang Peterson (his Troy director) commented that Sean’s performance is “a beautiful thing.”
 
– You can see Sean in Game of Thrones, a HBO miniseries out in April.
 
 
Ioan Gruffudd: Proving that immigration is fantastic for Hollywood
 
 
Being attractive, it’s not something I do consciously.  It’s incredibly flattering that people think I appeal to women.  But that was a gift from my parents.  My acting, my personality – that’s what it’s about.
 
I was lucky because I didn’t have to spend hours in freezing water.  There weren’t many people my age on set, so Kate, Leo, and I hung out together.  We would pile into Leo’s dressing room, which was full of PlayStations, mini basketball hoops and the like.  – On his Titanic experience
 
– His name, which is Welsh, is pronounded “Yo-wahn Griffith.” 
 
– Ioan’s parents were teachers.  His grandparents ran an amateur drama society in Cardiff, Wales. 
 
– He can play the oboe and sing (as you can see in some of his work).
 
 
 
– Delia Fine, an A&E VP, told People that Ioan won the role of Horatio Hornblower b/c of his “decency and good-heartedness.”  He auditioned 3 times.
 
– Ioan, who moved to LA in 2002, likes the optimism of the US. 
  
 
James Purefoy: Were ancient Romans anything like this?
 
 
The age of chivalry isn’t dead, is it?  It doesn’t even have to be a man or a woman that you could be chivalrous to.  If somebody’s in trouble you give them a hand.
 
– Purefoy is originally Norman French and means “good faith” or “my word or bond is in good faith.”
 
– James left school at 16, traveled, and did a few odd jobs.  But he returned to school at 18 to complete his A-Levels (equivalent of college).
 
– The year before he was going to graduate college, James was noticed by a casting agent from RSC, who asked him to come to Stratford right away. 
 
 
 
– He also screentested for the role of Bond.
 
– James was cast as the lead in V for Vendetta, but left after creative differences w/ the filmmakers.
 
 
David Tennant: You’ll actually be glad that this doctor is in!
 
 
I was very small, about 3 or 4 I think, and just wanted to be the people on telly telling these wonderful stories.  Obviously the idea grew and matured with me but I can’t ever remember wanting to do anything else.  I’ve just sort of taken it for granted all my life that that was what I would do.
 
– David (whose real last name is McDonald) wanted to be an actor from age 3.  His dad (a Presbyterian minister) submitted his pics to a talent agent for Scottish TV when he was 16.  David got an audition and a role soonafter!
– His maternal grandparents were Protestants from Derry, Ireland.
– David began studying theater full-time at age 17 at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
– He was nominated for the Olivier Award (London’s equivalent of the Tony) for his performance in the lead role in Hamlet.

“Anna Karenina” (BBC – 2000)

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Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

Sometimes fine actors just don’t have chemistry w/ each other!  This is the main problem in the 2000 BBC miniseries based on Leo Tolstoy’s well-known, tragic love story.  Helen McCrory (in the title role) and Kevin McKidd (who plays Count Vronsky) don’t generate much heat, which is a crucial part of the story.  She is an especially good actor w/ a great voice and onscreen presence.  Her few scenes w/ the little boy who played her son were touching.

In the 1997 version (w/ Sean Bean and Sophie Marceau), the leads not only look good together, but actually look like they are in love.  Though that film has its own flaws, it has much more passion in it.

The director in the miniseries made some odd choices.  Sometimes a handheld camera is not needed, but it’s used anyway.  There are too many close-ups and not enough light.  In the ’97 version, when Anna and Vronsky first meet, you can see their mutual attraction.  But in this version, the crucial moment becomes ho-hum.  Anna just looks at Vronsky for a moment through her veil- a lost opportunity for the director.  Their first dance is much more romantic/dramatic in the’97 version.  (It reminded me of Scarlett and Rhett’s first dance in Gone with the Wind.)

The actors who rise to the occasion in the miniseries are Douglas Henshall (Constantine Levin) and Paloma Baeza (Princess Kitty).  Henshall, whose real Scottish accent pops out in a few scenes, is the long-haired/bearded gentleman farmer w/ a past.  He thinks too much and worries if he’ll ever win over Kitty, who is innocent and young.  Baeza’s character starts out as a silly girl w/ a crush on the dashing Vronsky.  In time, Kitty learns about love and blossoms into a mature/sensitive wife.

 No one may build their happiness on another’s pain.

Anna’s philandering brother Stiva (played by Mark Strong) and his wife Dolly(played by Amanda Root) both get some nice lines.  “I love him, but I don’t respect him,” Dolly admits toward the end of the film.  She tolerates her husband’s affairs (just as many Russian nobles did at that time).

Anna and Vronsky’s love affair is atypical for their circle.  They truly are in love, not just fooling around b/c of lust or boredom.  Stephen Dillane (who plays Karenin) won’t give Anna a divorce, so she and Vronsky can’t marry.  Anna is forbidden to see her 8 y.o. son and becomes a social outcast.  Vronsky can’t give his baby daughter his name w/o that divorce.

Every time I tried to display my innermost desires – a wish to be morally good – I met with contempt and scorn, and as soon as I gave in to base desires I was praised and encouraged.  –Leo Tolstoy wrote two years after publication of Anna Karenina

After Levin meets Anna, he tell her brother that he liked her b/c “she’s so honest.”  Anna eventually spirals downward, turning to alcohol and opium.  She accuses Vronsky of betraying her w/ a younger woman.  Vronsky goes off to take care of some business for his mother.  But Anna is so paranoid and desperate by this point that she throws herself under a train.

Some recent views

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Witness for the Prosecution

This 1957 courtroom-drama, based on an Agatha Christie story, starts out slow, but really packs a punch!  The stars are Tyrone Power (playing against type), Marlene Dietrich (very compelling), and Charles Laughton (providing most of the humor).  There is a lot of dialogue, but it’s very well-crafted.  Famed London lawyer Sir Wilfrid (Laughton) takes on the case of Leonard Vole (Power) mainly because he’s intrigued by Vole’s German wife, Christine (Dietrich).  Leonard, charming yet jobless, is the prime suspect in the murder of a wealthy widow he befriended.  Christine, who is cold and clever, doesn’t act like the typical worried wife.  Sir Wilfrid tells Christine that a woman w/ her personality won’t be seen sympathetically by the jury.  I don’t want to give too much away, so check out this film for yourself.          

 

The Fifteen Streets

Some dreams do come true in Catherine Cookson (1906-1998) novels, but not w/o hardship and loss.  This TV movie, based on her most popular novel, was filmed on location and looks very authentic.  If you want to read the book, it’s suitable for both young adults (junior high age) and grown-ups.  Since Cookson herself grew up in a working-class/Catholic/Northern community, she truly knows her characters.  Despite being born illegitimate and poor, Cookson pulled herself up into middle-class respectability- becoming a teacher, novelist, and eventually- dame of the British Empire.    

At the turn of the 20th century, hard-working dockworker John O’Brien (Owen Teale) meets independent-minded Mary Llewellyn (Clare Holman), the teacher of his little sister Katie.  John and Mary are both concerned about young Katie’s future; she’s a bright/curious child who dreams of being a teacher.  John fears the family will not have enough money to pay for such training.  

John’s younger brother Dominic (Sean Bean) causes a lot of trouble in the family and community.  While John is sober and fair-minded, Dominic loves drinking and fighting.  Mr. O’Brien also likes to drink; he’s angered by the fact that he’s getting old and not being chosen for work as much.  Mrs. O’Brien is pregnant at the start of the story w/ her sixth child. 

Love doesn’t come smoothly for John and Mary.  The Llewellyns live in a middle-class house with fine furnishings; the O’Brien’s live in a small rowhouse near the docks.  However, they both share a love of words and a deep physical attraction.  They meet secretly, knowling that their courtship is out of the norm in their community.     

 Clarissa

 

Sean Bean plays the villain Sir Robert Lovelace in this 1991 TV miniseries based on a Samuel Richardson (1689-1761) novel.  The daughter of an 18th century (recently) wealthy family, Clarissa Harlowe (Saskia Wickham), is known for her piety, obedience, and beauty.  But unlike most young women, she wants to remain single, quite satisfied w/ her books and female friends for company.  In time, her family plans to marry her off to Mr. Soames, a man she finds repellant b/c of his looks and manners.  Clarissa, feeling desperate and friendless, runs off with Lovelace, the handsome/ill-reputed nobleman who’d been sending her secret letters.     

 

Lovelace, a known womanizer, pretends to seek redemption by reading the Bible and spending time w/ Clarissa.  His real goal is to wear down her virtue.  He comments to his best friend that he’s “never known a virtuous maid to hold out more than a month.”  But Clarissa won’t be had so easily!  Lovelace also wants to take revenge on James, Clarissa’s cold-hearted older brother.  

Though  James, as well as his sister Arabella, are rather one-dimensional villains, Clarissa’s best friend Anne is a n interesting character.  She’s a smart and sarcastic woman w/ a steady beau, but she doesn’t respect or love him.  She keeps him waiting, wondering if marriage is the right choice.