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cmwhalen2001-1
Reviews
Quintessentially British (2022)
Snooze-Fest - Deeply, Profoundly BORING - Eliteist, Class Conscious Snobbery
This was two hours of my life, that I will never get back! I kept hanging on until the very end HOPING it would pick up a head of steam and eventually offer SOME semblance of interesting interviews, but it just slogs along - with every segment even MORE boring than the previous segment.
I am American but have a life long affection for UK/British culture. I am a devout "Anglophile" and love the Brits! I grew up in the early 1960's at the height of "Mersey Beat Music" and Beatle-mania, the Mods and the Rockers. I love love love British art house cinema and and am a devout fan of Masterpiece Theatre - I watch a LOT of British tv shows and British news media on You Tube to keep informed about the current UK situation.
Unfortunately, this is a turgid, slow moving, deeply boring
"Snooze-Fest". Lots of stuffy, long winded "Talking Heads" which are overtly white, male Ruling Class, socially elite FUDDY DUDDY archaic, antiquated, fossilized "Turnip Toffs" - the UK Ruling Class 1% who live in massive mansions on huge estates and NEVER WORK but just live off the income their get from rent paying tenants.
UK is in reality, multi-cultural with all sorts of folks. 1950 era beliefs in this deeply, profoundly BORING Snooze-Fest. There is waaaay way too much screen time wasted on blathering and banging on about how fabulous Cambridge and cricket is. Yes, of course - Cambridge is a world class university BUT also for ONLY the very rich, white Ruling Class elite. Cricket is a great sport BUT it does not DEFINE the UK/British culture.
There are a few snippets of Dame Judy Dench and Ian McKlellann but neither of them really say much of anything of importance....just some random comments of no consequence.
SKIP IT - DON'T STREAM IT....... Even watching "Palace Confidential" on You Tube every Thursday when a brand new episode drops - offers far more insight to the UK and what is happening in England today.
I don't really believe in the concept of monarchy and inheirited wealth with artistocratic titles BUT I greatly admired and respected Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and King Charles III will be a good solid "Transition Monarch" until William and Kate take over the monarchy.
In the Dark (2019)
Dark, Quirky and Compelling
Perry Mattfield is a superlative actress. The first episode left me feeling conflicted because the main character is surly, snarky, deliberately anti-social, alcoholic, promiscuous, BUT I think her behavior stems from her having very deep psychological trauma that is unresolved.
Every movie and TV show portrays a person who is disabled either as super human heroic or as helpless needing caretakers. This program is different because it portrays the character as multidimensional. Instead of a sanitized saintly disabled person with "special powers" or the "helpless sap who needs caretakers" she is living independently and YES she has character flaws.
Essex Boys (2000)
Essex Boys - A Journey Into Gratuitous Violence and Brill Sean Bean
O.K. first off, I hated the film but gave it a 7 score which is fairly high - solely because of brilliant performance by Sean Bean.
Lots of very graphic rape, domestic violence, battered women get knocked around, horrible stuff, gangsters throw acid into face of guy.
If you want to see a similar movie with Sean Bean, but not so disturbing and violent check out "Fools Gold" which is based on the same kind of character, but not as horrifically violent.
Really quite sordid. But its based on a true story from real life and very authentic. I also really liked Alex Kingston and Tom Wilkinsons performance. It was Oscar level work from Sean Bean and gosh, I'm sure tired of Bean-o getting typecast in so many sociopathic villain roles - he's sexy to die for and can do all kinds of roles, not just the "Man You Love to Hate" as the baddie villain.
This is a visceral, ferocious, raw to the bone, flammable white hot smokin' tour de force performance by the most magnificent Sean Bean. It is a testament to the phenomenal power of his acting that even in a gruesome film which I really loathed, I could watch it to the very bitter end spellbound and mesmerized. Sean Bean could recite the telephone book in Swahili and make it to the level of Sir Laurence Olivier reading Shakespeare.
Colleen in California