Tag: TV

“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.

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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.   

 

 

“Wuthering Heights” (PBS – 1998)

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Robert Cavanah said: …It occurred to me that he was simply a man made of the simplest drives and needs and wants, and they were all summed up in three words – love of Cathy.  I never played him as a villain, just a man of enormous capacity for love, who had it all slapped back in his face.

This version of Wuthering Heights was made for British TV, then shown on Masterpiece Theatre (PBS) in the US.  The Northern accent used by the actors suits the story.  Unfortunately, the Earnshaw home is a humble cottage, not a gothic house.  This was no doubt due to budget limitations.  As several others mentioned, this film gives us chunks of dialogue straight from the novel.  Very cool!

The anti-hero protagonist, Heathcliff, is played by Scottish character actor Robert Cavanagh.  He’s not handsome, but has a great voice and strong screen  presence.   There are a couple of scenes where he gets very rough with wife Isabella Linton, but overall, this Heathcliff is not a complete monster.  He’s very much a product of his difficult past.

The actor who does justice to Heathcliff’s vulnerable/confused side is Ralph Fiennes.  Great acting is in the eyes, as Barbara Stanwyck said, and it’s all there w/ Fiennes!  He’s accessible in some ways, but still mysterious.  Olivier was very strong in the 1939 version, but a bit too much of a gentleman in some scenes.

My 20s were torture. I found men terrifying. I didn’t know how to relate to them and, because of that, there was no way I could have stood on a stage and asked people to look at me. I just wasn’t comfortable in my skin.  -Orla Brady

I really liked this Cathy, who is played by Irish actress Orla Brady.  Her unusually beautiful face doesn’t detract from her fine acting.  I was especially impressed when she showed Cathy’s strong/willful side.  Of course, no one can top La Binoche in the 1992 version!

The love between the doomed pair is portrayed in a more earthy (perhaps lustful) manner, not all pie in the sky.  Some viewers seemed to like it; others wanted more innocence/romance.  Speaking of innocence…  The younger generation are portrayed very well by Sarah Smart and Matthew Macfadyen.  (Yes, that’s a youthful Matthew as Hareton Earnshaw.  And he’s holding a puppy.  Awww…)

I think it would be awesome to have another version of this story w/ age-appropriate actors.  (This was done successfully by Franco Zeffirelli in the 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet.)  The younger Heathcliff and Cathy would have to be around 6-8 y.o. and the older ones 16-18 y.o.  If the lovers are teens, things will make more sense to viewers.  After all, it’s a odd to see 25-35 y.o. actors running through the moors, crying all night, and becoming furious at the slightest matter.

The latest BBC version was quite good, thanks mostly to Tom Hardy, who is a very intriguing actor.  He has a mystery about him, like Fiennes.  Heathcliff should be dangerous w/o alienating the audience completely.

Click below to see a cute vid w/ Macfadyen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L3HNt7S2A0Q

“Rome” (HBO, 2005-2007)

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If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to watch better TV shows, check out the HBO series Rome ASAP!  This is a very adult show w/ grown-up situations, so it’s not for the whole family.  It’s very addictive and keeps you guessing.  (Don’t go on You Tube or you’ll see spoilers!)  The setting is a pre-Christian world, so modern-day morals don’t apply.

At first, I was just awed by the sheer scale and beauty of the production.  Everything looks gorgeous (including James Purefoy, above)- music, costumes, scenery.  The show was shot on location on a high budget, even for HBO.

You’ll see all levels of ancient Roman society, from plebians barely eeking out a living in gritty tenements to patricians partying in brightly painted halls.  Adding to the realism are many extras- Italians of all ages, shapes, and complexions.  The acting is top-notch- w/ familiar faces and exciting newcomers from the UK.

When Season 1 begins, a middle-aged Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds from The Mayor of Casterbridge and Persuasion), is in Gaul (now France) expanding the Roman empire and vanquishing the “wild natives.”  Pompey, Caesar’s old friend and son-in-law, is in charge of the city of Rome.  Caesar and Pompey rule as co-counsels w/ a powerful Senate (which includes Cato and Cicero).  Brutus (Tobias Menzies) looks on Caesar as a mentor, though he keeps insisting he won’t go into politics.  (He was one of my favorite characters.)

Then Pompey’s wife, Caesar’s daughter, dies tragically during giving birth.  Some senators feel that Pompey should split from Caesar and become leader of Rome.

There are many legions fighting for Caesar in Gaul; the 13th is reputed as one of his most loyal.  Mark Antony (Purefoy from Vanity Fair) is at Caesar’s side, though some patrician Romans look down on him for being an egotistical commoner w/rough speech and brutish manners.  But the soldiers love him.

Caesar’s best asset may be Posca (Nicholas Woodeson), an observant Greek slave no less clever than his master.  He helps Caesar plan battles, draft speeches, and negotiate deals.  The don’t have the typical master-slave relationship; Posca protects Caesar’s secret (he’s an epileptic).  In the Season 1 finale, when Caesar lies dead on the senate floor, Posca is the only character who sheds tears by his side.  (There are several other slaves who play significant roles in Rome.)

One particularly fine soldier from the 13th is Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd, a Scotsman currently on Grey’s Anatomy) who hails from the Subura (the largest slum of ancient Rome).  He hasn’t seen his beautiful wife Niobe (Indira Varma) and two young daughters in 8 years, but fights for the Republic w/o complain.  (The Republic was akin to religion to many Romans.)

The soldier who bonds w/ Vorenus is Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson).  Unlike the sober Vorenus, the tall/imposing Pullo loves cursing, wine, and women of the night.  He can get into a fight over the smallest matter, but Vorenus can count on him when things get tough.  Their friendship ties the entire show together.  (Vorenus and Pullo are the only soldiers mentioned by name in the journals of the real Mark Antony.)

Another reason to watch Rome are its fascinating female characters: patricians, plebians, and slaves included.  Vorenus’ wife Niobe must learn to love and understand her husband after many years.  She has a secret that could cost her her life if it ever came out.  (Why does Varma fit so well in this setting?  Her mother was half-Genovese.)

Servilia of the Junii (Lindsay Duncan from Mansfield Park and Lost in Austen) is Brutus’ mother and Caesar’s favorite female companion.  On the outside, she keeps cool and composed, like a fine lady.  But Servilia, widow of two great Romans, has a keen mind and great ambition for her son.

Caesar’s niece, Atia of the Julii (Polly Walker from BBC’s Emma), is the nemesis of Servilia.  She’s also a widow, unapolegetically ambitious and manipulative.  Atia conducts a fiery on-again, off-again relationship w/ Antony and doesn’t care what others think about it.  But is there any love there?

Octavia (Irish newcomer Kerry Condon) is Atia’s sensitive/vulnerable daughter.  She’s often pulled into Atia’s power plays.  Her mother often tells her to not slouch, dress better, and toughen up.  It’s all about survival, Atia tells her kids.  But Octavia deeply yearns for true love and some control of her life.

Of course Cleopatra (newcomer/theater actress Lyndsay Marshal) makes several appearances.  In Season 1, she’s a pixie-like teenager who plays vulnerable to seduce Caesar and get back the throne of Egypt from her little bro.  In Season 2, she’s the bold empress who seduces Antony, then falls deeply in love w/ him.  Antony falls hard too, but it’s not meant to last.

In my opinion, the breakout star of Rome is Max Pirkis (who made his film debut in Master and Commander)-  he plays the young nephew of Julius Caesar, Gaius Octavian.  He learns a lot from reading- words and people.  Octavian is a brilliant, cold-hearted, and calculating boy who’s not afraid to use violence.  The adult Octavian Caesar is played by newcomer Simon Woods (below).

Who is “a true Roman?”  (In one scene, a resident of his slum questions Vorenus’ heritage b/c of his red hair and Gallic features.)  What is best for a nation- some type  of representative democracy or one all-powerful leader?  How does a city deal w/jobless soldiers unskilled at everything except fighting?  What are the limits of friendship?  The depiction of timeless themes and personal relationships make this show a must-see.

Recent views and more…

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Films I’ve watched recently:

Leave Her To Heaven (1945)

This drama about obsessive love (starring one of Hollywood’s most beautiful leading ladies, Gene Tierney) was considered controversial for its time.  Novelist Richard meets a socialite (daughter of a famous chemist) on the train to New Mexico.  He is instantly struck by her beauty.  Ellen (Tierney) is in New Mexico to meet-up w/ her mother and sister, then scatter the ashes of her beloved father.  Her family invites the well-mannered/charming Richard to spend time on their spacious vacation home. 

Ellen, a strong-willed/mysterious young woman, doesn’t hide her keen interest in Richard.  In the span of a few days, they fall deeply in love.  One night, her  former fiance (Vincent Price) drops in.  Russell is a self-assured prosecutor with his eye on politics; Ellen is very cold towards him.  Her family is surprised when Ellen suddenly proposes to Richard! 

 

The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954)

This drama, focusing on the joys and sorrows of marriage and sudden wealth, stars Van Johnson, Elizabeth Taylor, Walter Pidgeon, and Donna Reed.  In the exciting aftermath of WWII, a likeable/optimistic Midwestern GI named Charles (Johnson) shares a passionate kiss with a gorgeous young woman in a Paris crowd.  At a cafe, he meets a sophisticated woman, an American named Marion (Donna Reed).  It turns out that Marion is dating one of Charles’ old friends, a Frenchman named Claude.  Marion, who’s obviously interested in Charles, invites him to her house for a party.  

At the party, Charles is happily surprised to see the woman he kissed, Marion’s fun-loving younger sister, Helen (Taylor).  Though they seem like opposites, he’s down-to-earth while she lives for parties, they quickly fall in love.  The only problem is money; Helen’s father lives above his means and Charles is merely a struggling journalist/aspiring novelist.                 

I’m currently watching:

Equal Justice

This is an early ’90s courtroom drama deaing w/ ambitious/young Pittsburgh ADAs.  You can see it on Hulu; it ran for two seasons.  The cast includes a young Sarah Jessica Parker (then just 25 y.o.), former model Debrah Farentino, and several fine character actors: Jane Kaczmarek, Jon Tenney, and Joe Morton. 

The Tudors (Season 3)

I have watched the first two episodes so far.  Henry (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) has started his married life (again) w/ Jane Seymour (Annabelle Wallis), a beautiful noblewoman who seems beyond reproach at first (b/c of her virginity, good breeding, and and mild personality).  Jane surprises and angers Henry when she speaks up for the banished Princess Mary (Sarah Bolger).  Jane quietly seeks to help women, who are “often put upon in this world.” 

There is unrest in the North (Yorkshire; Lincolnshire) as abbeys and churches (Catholic) continue to be looted and destroyed.  The clergy are disrespected and beaten, in many cases.  A group of “commons” (farmers, laborers, etc.) organize to voice their discontent.  A few nobles take on the cause.  Henry goes off on Cromwell (James Frain) when he realizes just how big the group has become.  These “pilgrims” starts marching to London, gathering more and more of supporters along the way. 

I’m currently reading:

How Starbucks Saved My Life – Michael Gates Gill

Fired after 25 yrs at one of NYC’s biggest ad agencies, the author (then in his early 60s) wonders what to do w/ his life while sitting at a Starbucks (78th & Lexington) near his childhood home.  He’s in dire need of health insurance.  Suddenly, a confident young black woman named Crystal, the manager of another Starbucks store (96th & Broadway) offers him a job.  With no other option at hand, he agrees!