Change Your Image
Camargue
Reviews
The Little Couple (2009)
The Little Couple now seems to be about Will and Zoey with Bill and Jen in supporting roles!
"The Little Couple" now seems about 95% about the children, with Bill and Jen (and their attempts at parenting) providing custodial roles! Even when a story line begins with Bill or Jen, it pivots to highlight the children, and the "problems" of parenting. (Perhaps the show needs a new title.)
The test of the Stein/Arnold parenting strategy will not be available for 20 years or so. We have no idea if cute little Will, and tiny adorable Zoey, will develop the character necessary to be happy, well-adjusted, productive human beings, given their unusual histories.
Both Will and Zoey were plucked from desperately poor situations (Will in China; Zoey in India) in crowded orphanages. With their physical limitations, it would be fair to assume their futures were not terribly bright in their native countries, and that they were probably headed toward very limited outcomes. But, with their being "chosen" by the adoption services that recommended them to Bill and Jen, the children can certainly be included in the (often times trite) adage of "winning life's lottery!" They are certainly extremely fortunate!
The heavily edited episodes of reality TV do not tell us what we are actually seeing; normal life for them, or just "cute" moments. Bill and Jen seem to PUSH their children into doing things they are not nearly old enough to do, so episodes may come across as trite, shallow, or just obnoxiously spoiled.
Example, banging away on piano keys as a 3 year old gives zero indication of interest; Jen should have waited until the children are at least 7 or so, with greater finger strength, and more verbal ability to understand and question what they are doing. Who can forget their TERRIBLE behavior at the Legoland New York display. (Just because Bill is "from there" does not give their family complete freedom to damage the exhibit! Millions of people are from New York City (including my own grandparents) but most do not claim special privileges at New York exhibits.)
Another example is that Bill should NOT have given Will access to a museum quality Scottish cannon to "knock around." Instead of being concerned about damaging the brass and copper plating on the historic cannon, Bill ONLY voiced concern that the cannon barrel didn't "land on Will's foot" and send him to an infirmary. (At that point, I would have welcomed ANY discipline toward Will, but there was none coming. Just the poor beleaguered Scottish guide imploring Will to "come over here.") Bill and his father were useless in minding Will's destructive behavior (or the obvious delight he takes in being destructive, which is certainly problematic).
The family went to lunch in Scotland and spent an inordinate amount of time insulting "haggis," as disgusting and Jen wouldn't even try it. Bill bragged about being "sophisticated" but still condemned it before tasting. (FYI, haggis tastes very much like our holiday stuffing, since it contains most of the same ingredients, but adds oatmeal as a filler instead of dried bread cubes.) It is usually served as a "side dish" to another "main" protein, such as baked chicken or turkey. It is delicious; I order it every time I'm in Scotland. Also, it will be a bit different wherever you order it since recipes vary. Just as your mother's stuffing is different than your MIL's, which is different from your neighbor's, which is different from a restaurant version! In fact, Bill told his dad it was much like liverwurst, which means his order had a lot of liver; some has more heart; while another has more onion, or celery; but it is ALL good.) They couldn't even be fair; they condemned it before they tried it, which is not a good lesson for the children. (Since Will eats like a garbage scow, I don't know why they didn't give it to him. He would have acknowledged that it tasted good.)
The "opportunities" that Will and Zoey engage in, remind me of our first "reality show" with Prince William and Prince Harry being allowed to do things that were not age appropriate because Lady Diana was able to arrange outings for her sons that other children would never be allowed to do. Did those "amazing opportunities" cause William and Harry to develop any happier or better off? Certainly they did nothing for William's bed wetting and nail chewing, or Harry's inappropriate behavior, ability to focus, or make sound decisions. Being treated "as more entitled" than other children is a mixed blessing.
Being allowed to do things that are not age appropriate can result in destructive behavior, which should be embarrassing to Bill and Jen, but she just gives a horse laugh and he says, "they're kids, what do you expect." (What we expect are for the adults to behave responsibly; to monitor and direct their children. Bill saying, "they're too fast for me" is a poor excuse for lazy (or absent) parenting.
The Stein/Arnold family will be able to give their children amazing opportunities; the world will be their oyster; I can't imagine any college turning them down, or any roadblocks or challenges not overcome. As far as their self-confidence, ability to self-motivate, or feel compassion for others . . . . that is the test.
Breathless (2013)
This was a zero series, wasting good actors and great background props.
Oh,dear! This is a hospital drama, a pot-boiler and a page-turner, with doctors, and nurses, and the promise of a deep secret worth keeping. HOWEVER, after much wordy dialogue, and knowing glances, and beautiful costumes, and zippy cars, and the drama of "women's problems," and "the hospital ward," and "sex out of wedlock," we are left with just about zero.
The cast included many competent actors including a number from Downton Abbey. Zoe Boyle, Catherine Steadman, and Iain Glen (in DA as Lavinia Swire, Mable Lane Fox, and Sir Richard Carlisle) moved from the heights of DA to this underachieving effort. Jack Davenport, Shaun Dingwall, Natasha Little, Oliver Chris and Joanna Page were all faithful to their "Breathless" characters, while Finbar Lynch and Pippa Hayward were completely wasted. The cast was aided by impressive costumes (although, having everyone embrace the same "stage" of 60's attire did seem a bit extreme; some of them should have been a bit more stuck in the 50s and not so eager to jump headlong into the 60s, but it certainly set a structured modern tone). Also, there was a salute to personal automobiles and the "reality" that doctors were a class who could afford to own snazzy little sports cars. There is a scene where Otto ardently (with obvious leers) tries to give Angela a ride home, but she clearly prefers the discomfort of the bus to being seen riding in a married doctor's fast car.
The beginning contained a frenzy of "set ups," with personal relationships, doctor/patient relationships, husband/wife relationships, doctor/nurse relationships, but then obvious questions set in. How could the "top docs" continue to keep their (illegal) "abortion on demand at home" lucrative business a secret when they traveled in such obvious medical style with doctors bags, a nurse, an anesthetist, and tanks of oxygen, etc. And, if the abortions were so noticeable, then what could their DEEP secret be? The disappointment came full bore at the end because the quick and easy "tying up of loose threads" was so pathetically convenient and ultra PC (politically correct)that it RUINED the entire experience. The setting (costumes, cars, hospital wards, apartments, casserole dishes, eyeglasses, and eye shadow) was early 1960s but the forced conclusions were strictly 2010!
In fact, the deep secret was something that could have been easily resolved by the four people involved. Changes in character at the end? A guy who seemed afraid of his own shoelaces committed a violent act that was completely irrational. Angela's mysteriously lost husband? He reappears but is such a zero he should have stayed lost. The conclusion was silly; a "PC" ending that lacked reality, or imagination, and was an insult to our intelligence! NO WONDER it was canceled!
Birdsong (2012)
Birdsong is an excellent treatment of WWI and a young man coming of age.
Birdsong provided realistic insight into the horror (and tedium) of WWI; much less "glamorous" than WWII, but clearly equal in the scale of human suffering. Add to that the frustration of a young man coming of age and there is little raw emotion left.
Eddie Redmayne IS Stephen Wraysford! A marvelous WWI officer; young, idealistic, and devoted to his men, he understood what they were going through, the hopelessness of war, and that, in the final analysis, all that matters is loving and touching! Years of suffering had infused Stephen with wisdom beyond his years.
His time as a young lover occupied an exaggerated place in his life because he was completely enamored with Isabelle, yet had such a short time with her! He was familiar with paid sex with prostitutes, but his heart belonged to Isabelle. Sadly, he did not understand that a woman who was weak enough to succumb to an affair was not a good candidate for depth of commitment. She was Stephen's entire "world," but her lack of self-esteem prevented her from understanding that her worth to him was enormous.
The bunker scenes with Joseph Mawle (Firebrace) and Richard Madden (Weir) and Eddie Redmayne are absolute magic. It is easy to see why they are rated as up and coming stars! They hit just the right notes as young men who were stuck in the war effort and were trying to do the best they could, while wanting it to be over and to just "go home." Oddly, Stephen could actually "go home" when he had leave since he had lived close to this battle area of France before the war.
Stephen Wraysford was irreparably changed by the war and was forced to compromise his remaining years. His physical needs were met, but his emotional needs were never addressed; they could not be.
If the war had not happened, one can imagine a long and satisfactory (if more shallow) life for Stephen Wraysford, involved in the manufacture of fabric, and of finding love, and if his future was to be in France or back in England. But, the war did happen, and those four years of horror continued to run roughshod over the remainder of his days.
The Woman He Loved (1988)
Excellent rendition, beautifully photographed, and lifelike.
As a devotee of the lives and times of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, this is, by far, my favorite rendition of these people and their times.
It is beautifully photographed, and competently acted. Specifically, it is not overly dramatic, because the drama was in the situation, not in anyone's dramatized reaction.
"The Woman He Loved" begins as Wallis and Ernest Simpson take up lush lodgings in London. As they negotiate their way into London society, by ingratiating themselves into the upper echelons, it is inevitable that they meet the Prince of Wales, David Windsor, who is destined to be crowned King Edward VIII. Much to the shock of his immediate (and intimate) circle, Wallis becomes the only person outside of his family to address him as "David." The future king is at a loss at how to react, but cannot bring himself to correct her. She appears to be candid, and spontaneous; a typical American, yet her actions are studied and cunning. He is both intrigued and amused, and his lack of restraint provides encouragement so that she behaves even more brazenly. The relationship between Wallis and the future king is filled with anecdotes of personal affection, and times of great tribulation as their relationship deepens to become the infamous 'romance of the century.'
Anthony Andrews IS David Windsor, shy, slight, elite, precise, sympathetic, empathetic, yet equally out-of-touch. Somehow, he is emboldened to speak on social issues, while exhibiting disastrous judgment. Equally well matched, Jane Seymour perfectly captures the all consuming, calculating and ambitious personality of Wallis Warfield Spencer Simpson. Cold, yet charming, demanding yet vulnerable, and always persnickety, Wallis Simpson was a force of nature. How else could a twice-divorced, not particularly beautiful, American commoner, bring the King of England to his knees?
Olivia de Havilland is perfect as Aunt Bessie. She assumes a vital role in the development of their relationship. In essence, she took the place of an entire royal court for Wallis' side; and she was up to the task.
In a world where, in spite of their advantages, David and Wallis felt they did not belong, they found each other. No one can estimate the change in the quality of life when people find "the rest of themselves" but this is what appears to have happened when they met and married. Wallis addressed him as David (in private) but she used his royal appellation of Edward as a design element, to form their initials into "WE." They truly painted themselves as the two of them (WE) against the world.
The personal story of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor is not just a love story; it is a story for the ages. For centuries, men have waged wars to become Kings of England; this man willingly walked away and gave up Throne and Sceptre, Crown and Country, because it was the only way he could marry the woman he loved.
The Saddle Club (2001)
The Saddle Club deserves FAIR treatment.
I highly doubt that our experienced dressage rider has ever watched The Saddle Club, but is merely using the topic as a platform to herald her accomplishments in the riding world.
Her first complaint is completely unfounded because the girls do not "burst into song" in the middle of the stories. The "singing" portions are promotional.
Likewise, her complaint that the horses "walking around" are not the same horses that are being ridden is also without merit.
The Saddle Club is a mixture of reality and fantasy. In fact, there are three concepts at play at the same time. (1) Some of the horses are at the actual ranch that passes for "Pine Hollow" and have their own riders and handlers, (2) some horses pictured have originated at other horse shows that the writer of the series visits and occasionally judges, and (3) other horses are supposed to "belong" to the main characters of Carol, Stevie, Lisa, Veronica, Stephanie, etc. and are actually ridden by them. It is nonsense to expect (or pretend) that the horses (or the riders) are all of the same status.
This is a story of a RIDING SCHOOL, which means the students are just learning! Our experienced dressage rider is not fair to the efforts of these young women who are just now learning to ride. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to own our own horses, to learn how to care for our animals, and learn to ride, must not be "snooty" or "snotty" about those who have not had that same opportunity!
For some viewers, this is their first introduction to horses, and it does not benefit them to have it picked apart by those at a different skill level; and remember, there are always those who have MORE skill and MORE talent and MORE awards! While not all people have a high interest in riding, they still enjoy watching The Saddle Club. Remember, it is not necessary to have technical knowledge to enjoy a show! Many non-swimmers were enthralled by Sea Hunt! Those with no background in criminal justice are addicted to "cop shows." Those who will never visit England are committed to British comedies. Likewise, those who will never ride a horse in their lives can still enjoy The Saddle Club.
We are all at different places in our journey. I have attended many horse events and there are winners and losers. If our experienced dressage rider is always the winner, she could do with some humility, and thank heavens for those who are willing to participate, even if they don't win. If it weren't for all those "losers", she could not be the winner she perceives herself to be.
Make Way for Noddy (2001)
Obvious PC reverse racism
The animation is a modified cgi that is unusual and quite appealing. Toytown is adorable, and Noddy is precious.
The characters are well-developed, and each has enough personal quirks to be easily identified and understood by children. In other words, each be counted on to have their own standard responses as various problems are put on them.
The use of color and fanciful adaptations of everyday items are very well done. Who wouldn't want to sit down to a cup of chocolate at Noddy's charming kitchen table? Or go for a ride in his amazing convertible car? Imagine a constabulary building with a policeman's helmet as a roof. And renditions of flowers are everywhere.
However, there is an underlying theme of PC reverse racism that is off-putting. Indeed, the "cuteness" can become cloying because of the writers need to treat one character differently than all the others.
The concept of lessons learned, while noble, is, in reality, subjugated to a not-so-veiled warning that the "minority" character is an untouchable.
Outside Edge (1994)
Excellent short series
The characters and characterizations are superb. However, it is a short-running series and those are difficult to find a spot for on American television. There are simply not enough episodes for a normal alloted space; it can only be used as a filler, so is rarely seen.
Probably because the plot (cricket) is so specific, there are only a certain number of situations that can be addressed. Either the cricket match goes on, or it does not, and the team either wins, or loses. The trials and tribulations of Mim and Roger Dervish, and Roger's fellow cricket team players, play out within the confines of those few scenarios.
Roger is painfully insecure, and he covers up by bullying. He also has a problem with keeping a balanced perspective. His latest passion is his election as captain of his volunteer cricket team, and he takes his position very seriously. Sadly, he believes that he can compensate for everything that is lacking in other areas of his life if he can just create an excellent winning cricket team. To that end, he goes overboard in his expectations of his teammates and his demands of his wife.
Mim tries to be a supportive spouse, but she is painfully aware that Roger is lacking in sensitivity. For example, he expects her to not only be at his beck and call, but to also cheerfully anticipate his every need. While she certainly tries, she finds it difficult (for example) to provide a huge "feed" for his team, with no support or attention from Roger. In fact, she doubts his actual feelings for her, and she does not have the self-confidence to rise above her own limitations. She is a good, patient, and sometimes pathetic soul, but she also exhibits a bit of spunk, particularly when she is at her wit's end, and has allowed herself to be "walked on" yet again, by her insecure husband. Mim is sort of a cross between Debra Romano and Edith Bunker. She clearly loves Roger more than he deserves, but less than he needs.
The opening credits revealed the sameness of their "cookie cutter" neighborhood (and implied "cookie cutter" lives) and was an excellent visual to counter the complications of their lives. I wish they would have finally moved the focus away from cricket (change the name from "Outside Edge" to something more familiar such as "Whirling Dervish") and move the focus on exploring the relationships among the principals. Mim and Roger (and their friends) certainly had the "bones" for an excellent British sit/com.
The Boss' Wife (1986)
Wonderful light comedy
This movie is one of my all time favorite light comedy offerings. Christopher Plummer is a master as the neurotic Mr. Roalvang who simply cannot bear to be challenged. He is able to cause his wimpy employee, Daniel Stern, to succumb to his demands by confronting him with a question: "Are you challenging me, Smokey?" Another absolute comic genius is Martin Mull, who becomes more obnoxious the harder he tries to be the favored employee, Tony Dugdale. But none of these three men can deal with the problems caused by the overly, overtly, demandingly erotic Mrs. Roalvang (Arielle Dombasle).
Much of the action takes place on a train, or there are references to trains. Mr. Roalvang even has his lunch delivered on an electric toy train. There is a great scene when Mrs. Roalvang does her bombastic walk through the train station.
The writing is terrific. The actors are great. I have to watch it at least once a year for a laugh fix. I rank it with "Long, Long, Trailer" or "Mr. Blanding's Builds His Dream House."