Change Your Image
Lucy1578
Reviews
The Gentlemen (2024)
A cracking watch
Really enjoyed it. Well written, stylish, crazy, funny. Theo James, Kaya Scodelario and Daniel Ings are on top form! Ings is freaking hilarious and I especially enjoyed his interactions with his on-screen brother, Eddie, played by Theo James (who just gets better and better with every new role). Theo and Kaya have just the right amount of sexual tension that makes you want to keep watching, but for once Guy Ritchie has a strong, independent woman (more of that, please!)
I also loved the dynamic with Joely Richardson as the lady of the manor and her soft/tough gamekeeper, Vinnie Jones. Clever nod to her memorable role as Lady Chatterley there!
I have to take a star off for some of the stereotyping though, particularly the travellers. Although it was fun to see them rock up in their caravans at the Duke's estate and made me think this could be a good long-term solution to the lack of traveller sites! After all, why exactly do these aristocratic families own so much land? What right do they have?
It was also quite obvious that Ritchie was only involved in the first 2 episodes. It wasn't as funny as the film of the same name, and the comedy died away halfway through and the focus was on the plot. But the characterisation was great and I had a lot of empathy for Eddie and Susie (could have done with less of Ray Winstone's unintelligible rasping perhaps).
Overall, a cracking watch.
The White Lotus (2021)
The best thing on TV
Both seasons are excellent - the writing, acting, scenery, everything. It's a pleasure to watch. At a push, I'd say I prefer S1 as its more humorous in its social satire. S2 is darker and at times a bit sordid, but still brilliant.
Special mention to Armond, Shane and Rachel in S1, plus the hilarious dysfunctional family - reminded me of my own teenagers but 100 times worse (and not as wealthy!) I wasn't so keen on Tanya in S1 but she was fabulous in S2.
However the standout for me in S2 was the prickly foursome - especially Cameron and Daphne, played by Theo James and Meghan Fahy. Their interactions were so subtle and unsettling, yet still realistic.
Life After Life (2022)
Why change the ending?!
A mixed bag. Lovely sets and acting. The first episode dragged, but the second was more engaging. The third was good too, but by the fourth I was bored. Unnecessarily harrowing in places, to the point of mawkishness. But I liked the way Ursula's character changed in her different lives. Difficult to watch the mother without thinking Claire in Fleabag! 😀
I have read the book and enjoyed it very much, even if the stuff in Germany is a bit fantastical. But they changed the ending for the series!! That was a mistake - the series ending is a letdown. I won't give away what it should have been, but it means they can't make an adaptation of the sequel, A God in Ruins, which to my mind is actually a better book.
See How They Run (2022)
Flat and unfunny
This was so boring, I almost left the cinema halfway through, but having paid £10 decided to stay till the bitter end in the hope it might get better. It didn't!
It wasn't funny and I didn't much care what happened. Saoirse Ronan made a good effort but her detective sidekick was woefully miscast. There was no spark between them at all. Disappointing that the most engaging character in the film (Adrien Brody) was killed off after 10 minutes.
Bringing in Agatha herself was ludicrous and I felt the most sympathy for the "villain" who had actually suffered child abuse.
All in all, a waste of money.
Mr. Malcolm's List (2022)
Fun and witty
It was a fun watch but fairly superficial. All the cast were good but Zawe Ashton stole the show. Would like to have seen more of her character (Julia) interacting with Henry Ossory (a dashing Theo James). They were like Beatrice and Benedict with their sparring banter and chemistry pretty much eclipsing the main plot. I love the fact that actors of colour were cast - why shouldn't they be? The Mr Malcolm / Selina storyline was a fairly obvious rip-off of Pride and Prejudice but Mr Malcolm could have done with being a bit more arrogant and Selina a little more sparkling. But overall, it was a fun, well produced watch.
The Time Traveler's Wife (2022)
Excellent
I'm not sure what show the critics were watching!
There were a few things that made me feel a little weird, but guess what - it's a weird book! Because, guess what, time travel doesn't really exist. The story is not meant to be taken literally, it's an allegory about life and love and loss.
I didn't like the 'older' makeup or the video monologue device, but I loved everything else. Beautifully written and wonderfully acted. Funny, moving and thought-provoking. Each episode left me feeling shellshocked at the end and I spent the next couple of days thinking about it.
Theo James and Rose Leslie are both outstanding, but I loved the supporting cast too, especially Gomez and Henry's mother. And the child actors were perfect!
Of course Theo James looks amazing, as usual, but this show really showed that he can act - I absolutely loved the scenes where the two Henrys played off against each other. It came across so naturally and they really were like two different characters.
The ending was a perfect mix of sadness and joy. Would love a Season 2.
Sanditon: Episode #2.6 (2022)
Disappointing
Season 2 looks very pretty but suffers from too many characters, too many plot lines (some of them ridiculous) and too-short scenes. The new characters were not well developed and all a bit underwhelming as a result.
It was fun to see some of the old characters, especially Tom, Arthur and Georgiana, but I'm afraid 'Charlotte's journey' fell flat with me. The actress did her best but the character was not at all in keeping with the character we saw in season 1 and the plot moves far away from Austen into the realms of Victorian melodrama. Some of it is really quite unpleasant and depressing to watch, as all the female characters are poorly treated by men, especially Charlotte and Esther. Captain Fraser is the only decent man of the lot, but we get to see very little of him.
A less sexy reboot of Season 1 that borrows from all over the place and comes across more like an early 2000s production than a modern, inventive take on Austen, which the first season was promising to be. Ends on yet another groan-inducing (but less moving) cliffhanger.
Sanditon (2019)
Season 1 great, season 2 disappointing
Season 1 was a magical show. It had its flaws but it made a good effort to interpret Austen's original story. It had leanings towards romantic melodrama, but on the whole it was fresh, exciting and edgy. The dialogue was clever, the scenery and music were fantastic, the characters were intriguing and the central love story captivating. Unfortunately it ended on a tragic cliffhanger.
Season 2 carries this tragedy even further by killing off the hero and making the heroine miserable, but it doesn't properly explore the impact of Sidney's death on his family and the woman he loved. Instead it turns into a weird parody/pastiche of Season 1 and of Austen, introducing lots of mainly quite dull new characters and whipping through the scenes before you have a chance to find out who they really are.
It all looks pretty - although the outdoor set looks horribly fake and the CGI is embarrassing - and the actors do their best with a sub-par script, but it's a million miles from Austen and almost like a totally different show to the first series. It draws on every possible Austen trope you've seen before as well as - inexplicably - Jane Eyre, the Sound of Music and Beauty and the Beast. Some of the scenes are so juvenile and sentimental, yet this is juxtaposed with some really quite nasty treatment of women (Charlotte and Esther in particular) by the men in their lives. Charlotte in particular has a most unappealing journey and ends up back where she started. It's all rather depressing.
Fortunately it is just about saved by some of the minor characters - Arthur and, to an extent, Georgiana. The writers have made more effort this time to explore the status of a young black woman in Regency society and her character is better developed this time, even if her romantic journey is uninspiring and predictable.
This show has had a strange journey through cancellation and renewal and key actors not coming back. The new season is almost like an attempt to start all over again. But I'm not sure it was worth it. The first season can't be beaten, in my view.
Sanditon: Episode #2.1 (2022)
Disappointing
I've watched the whole of Season 2 and I'm afraid it fell short on many fronts.
The writers and actors have clearly tried their best with the remaining material and characters, but unfortunately the passion and humour have been drained from the show and most of the plot lines are borrowed from other works by Austen and even Bronte. It comes across as bland and generic, and at times quite dreary.
Of course the women all look beautiful and the natural scenery is lovely, but there are so many new characters and plots it's hard to really get to know anyone or empathise with them.
Such a shame as, despite its faults and its heartbreaking ending, Season 1 was fresh, alive and magical.