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Reviews
Marple: The Sittaford Mystery (2006)
Timothy Dalton is worth watching
Timothy's interpretation of Clive Trevelyan is pure delight. The way he skirts around the paparazzi, deals with his drunken ward, treats the 'secrets' he is hiding, and his reactions to Miss Marple. There is a humor in all of it and yet something menacing at the same time. One isn't quite sure what he is up to, but you can't wait to find out.
From the enthusiasm shown at the beginning, in the Egyptian tomb, to his mysterious rendezvous at the over-crowded Three Crown Hotel on that dreary blizzard night--he catches your attention so you want to find out his secrets. His closeups are spectacular, as he uses his eyes and facial expressions to keep the audience engaged to the moment.
(Timothy does this with all of his characters and Clive is no exception. If he is in a movie, you can be sure his characters will be engaging and worth watching.) The script, on the other hand, is slow in delivering what it set up at the start. I guess that's the nature of a mystery. I found some of the scenes tedious and wished there was more to keep my attention. Unfortunately Clive was killed off by then, flash backs were all we had, and the snow fall was a bit monotonous. Miss Marple's jabberings were more annoying than interesting, though TRefusis and Burnaby brought a nice edge and chemistry to the story, moving the plot along.
I have not read the original novel, so I would not have known about any changes except for the comments placed here. I also thought the subplot concerning the scorpion and the ghost-like apparitions was a confusing element with no resolve. And that's all I have to say 'bout that.
The Beautician and the Beast (1997)
Dalton & Drescher: Great Combination
I give this movie a 10 because of the tremendous amount of comedy within the dialog, matched with the comic timing skillfully done by Dalton and Drescher. To watch them is like watching Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in "I Love Lucy". Especially when Boris (Dalton) speaks in bad sounding English and Joy (Drescher) mimics him. Dalton's transformation from beast to 'prince charming' is, as always, believable. He also gets the laughs and looks yummy at the same time. Fran is also in her element, because in a movie such as this (vs the sitcom 'the Nanny') she gets a chance to show us her serious side--and she is as believable as when she's zinging those classic comic one-liners. The movie also shows off Dalton's ferocious and highly energetic fencing skills, which is another trademark of his. The high tension built up by Dalton is only brought down by Drescher's light-heartedness and wit. It plays out extremely well with more confrontations to come. And, there's no swearing!
Laughter is the best medicine to beat the blues. So, I say enjoy the fairy-tale it's meant to be and get ready to laugh out loud. By the by--if you get to watch this movie on DVD, Fran's commentary is a stream of extra laughs!
Lie Down with Lions (1994)
Very Entertaining
This is really a love story between CIA agent Jack Carver and a nurse named Kate. Their affair begins out of Kate's friendship with a person of interest to the CIA--Peter Husak. CIA thinks Kate is useful and thus Jack is meant to get intimate with her to get any secrets about Peter, whom she used to have a romantic relationship. She full heartedly falls in love with Jack. When Jack's identity is revealed, they split apart. She runs off with Peter to some afghan/Arab place where he runs a clinic. Jack, in the meantime, hates what he's done to Kate as he discovers he truly loves her. When the KGB get involved with Peter and his clinic, things get serious. Kate's just had a baby, and Peter is secretly coerced to helping the KGB thwart the efforts of a rebellion against Moscow power control over the area. The rebels are the very people Kate & Peter have befriended, so betrayal goes deep. There's a person of interest the KGB are trying to kidnap--this is where the CIA get involved again. They try to recruit Jack, who has tried to forget his CIA life. Having a chance to see Kate, however, he accepts the assignment.
This is where a lot of the fun begins! Jack uses his CIA know-how to thwart the KGB mercenaries from bombing a convoy, taking medical supplies and food (and guns)to the rebels in the remote villages. He's planting bombs, running through gun-fire, and getting shot in the arse, adding a bit of humor and humanity to our 'Bond-like hero'.
Jack is able to rekindle his affair with Kate, save his 'charge' (Omar Shariff) from getting captured, & win the fight against the KGB & mercenaries--all in a few days work!
Dalton and Helgenberger create a delightful chemistry; He still knows how to bring the action and the romance. And, Dalton even has a few touching moments with the little baby, Hope.
Great Movie, especially for Dalton fans.
Hawks (1988)
A film worth watching!
First, this movie is a treasure. The script is loaded with precious gems, and Timothy and Anthony do a fantastic job of delivering each one. Poignant and truthful, but also silly at times--keeps the audience from becoming depressed over the subject matter. It's a wonderful mixture. There are many memorable scenes that will stay with you, long after you've watched the movie; many quotable lines that are purposeful to bring up over and over.
It is also a different pace for Timothy Dalton fans. He shows his comic chops in this role, as well as his ability to remind the audience what's underneath--the more serious, emotional turmoil of the terminal ill. The over-the-top, silliness of his actions is a way of dealing with his mortality, and how people have treated him because of it. Tim puts it all out there, but skillfully reels it back in when it's appropriate for the scene. One of Tim's best roles.
I would give this film a 10, however I can't condone the needless swearing, mostly in the beginning dialogue (which decreases later on); and the absurd topless women in the brothel scene. To me, they only distract from what's really being said, or the comedy, and if removed, would not effect the poignant story of the film.
What I like is that, after the two men get to the brothel, they decide it's not really what they wanted after all. The relationship that builds up b/t our two main guys and the two women stranded along the road (with a broken down car) is a refreshing addition to the plot.