Dated news but Robin Hood got the big heave ho, so no season 4. I would have liked to have seen Clive Standen who played Archer as the new Robin, but there didn't seem to be much potential for the story to move forward. After all, Marian, the Sheriff, and our beloved Guy all bit the dust, and I don't see how another season could have survived the dearth of charisma. You know it couldn't exactly rely on writing talent. Anyway, it was an enjoyable run while it lasted. We'll just wait and see what BBC pumps out next, and if Merlin survives past round 2....Speaking of which, Adrian Lester appeared in last week's episode. He played an assassin sent to off Arthur for the murder of a neighboring prince. There was a bit of jousting, a bit of love. Not a particularly memorable episode and I don't think this was a fantastic showcase of Mr Lester's considerable talent. Guinevere does give Arthur a verbal talking down though and maybe this relationship might bring more depth to Arthur's character. One of my complaints from last season is that our once and future king was little more than a chain mail wearing jock. If Bradley James can actually act, then the remainder of the season should be more interesting.
What better way to start of an episode of Robin Hood than a shot of Guy's raven locks flouncing about his shoulders as he gallops forth, only to be interrupted by a wicked 'your mama' shot from Robin which then escalates into a fight on the forest floor? The two are headed for York this week to rescue their half-brother but first make a pit stop at the outlaws' camp. This doesn't go down too well with the group, especially Kate, whose brother was killed by Guy waaaay back at the beginning of the series. Half-brother Archer, meanwhile, is awaiting execution in York but still managing to get cozy with the Sheriff of York's wife. And really, who would blame her for sleeping with someone who looks like Clive Standen? He gets a reprieve when he turns an iron nail into a gold nugget using some mysterious technique from the Orient but promptly gets thrown back into the clink when it turns out to be fake.
Back at Nottingham Castle, Isabella learns that Guy and Robin have teamed up and are bound for York. Bitter and betrayed, she sends an emissary with instructions to drag the two back, alive, before heading off herself. The gang finally makes a substantive appearance after almost a season's hiatus and we get a slight return to the camaraderie that characterized the first two seasons. They are torn between their hatred for Guy and their loyalty to Robin, each with his or her own opinion about how to interpret this new alliance. Naturally they all make good, which is a lucky thing because the men at York have gotten themselves in a bit of a bind. When the rescue goes awry, Robin, Guy, and Archer find themselves ready to hang. The last minute arrival of the gang saves the day, but Archer, armed with the knowledge that his half-sister is the wealthy Sheriff of Nottingham, deserts the outlaws and seeks better fortunes.
The series is finally coming into its own after a lackluster start, but it may be a little too late. In the coming weeks, we'll see if it's picked up for a fourth series. Now that Isabella is firmly established as the villain, the show has emerged from its vacuum of evil and recaptured a bit of that cat and mouse effect. Guy was never that effective as the penultimate bad guy because his insecurity prevented him from being a forceful chief antagonist to Robin Hood's idealistic do-gooder. Isabella's waffling in earlier episodes and the former Sheriff's fall from grace also deprived the show of a villainous anchor early on thus resulting in more distraction and confusion. For example, the fights between Guy and Vaisey (Keith Allen) were an entertaining exercise in power but left little for Robin and especially his gang to engage in. That's why I think this season has been a miserable misuse of talent and why I was happy to see something of a return to form as far as the gang is concerned - though I'm guessing it will be shortlived as Allan will not be making it out alive.
On a minor and unrelated thought, the 'love story' between Robin and Kate is painful to watch. I wouldn't say that Jonas Armstrong and Joanna Froggat lack chemistry but I think it's better suited as partners of the non-romantic sort. On top of this, the story is contrived for the sake of romance and Jonas Armstrong in general seems to be walking through this third series like it was his last...because it is.
At last some words about Archer, our hero in waiting and the most interesting thing to appear on my television in awhile. The character is well written, a rare feat for Robin Hood, but really comes to life thanks to Clive Standen. The man's magnetism has little to do with his good looks and everything to do with the way he infuses Archer with a mix of arrogance, resourcefulness, and vulnerability. Archer is, face it, a player and a rogue but never mean-spirited, which kind of makes him a perfect Robin Hood. Standen, the married with children actor, doesn't look at all like Robin and Guy's much younger brother but he keeps his character cocksure and saucy enough to fit the part.
Finally, we might look back at this episode as the introduction of Archer, but some of us will remember it as the one where Guy, back at the outlaws' camp after the rendezvous at York, asks 'Where do you want me to sleep?' Proving once again that there's no such thing as a bad question. And once again, I can't believe I've written so much about one episode of Robin Hood. If only I could redirect my stamina.
Haven't had a chance to catch the latest Robin Hood but early word is that things are tumbling to a spectacular climax, as promised by Richard Armitage. The fangirls (more like housewives) are distraught over what they assume to be the impending death of dear Guy of Gisbourne. Well, if Richard Armitage is on the outs, that'll save me a good 13 hours next year. Anyway, the last two episodes will be aired the following Saturdays.
Meanwhile, there is one notable departure, and it's not Jonas Armstrong, at least not on the 'notable'. We've just learned that Allan-a-Dale, portrayed by the better Armstrong - Joe, will be offed in the next episode, though it's still unknown if he will be stabbed, burned, hanged, pierced, drowned, buried, suffocated, drawn and quartered, tossed over a cliff, or thrown into a vat of burning tar. Nevertheless, this will leave an unfortunate gap in the Nottingham lineup as he was one of the more dynamic members, from the moment he tried to save his own skin in the first episode to his traitorous turn in the second season to his eventual return to the Robin Hood fold. Hopefully this will free him up for better projects, preferably something with snappier dialogue - though he did get some choice lines in the first two seasons - and more screen time. Fare thee well, Allan-a-Dale.
Writers of Robin Hood, you do sometimes shock me. The series has managed to rescue itself from the pits of dulldom and is crescendoing into a fine finale. Three more episodes left for Jonas Armstrong, who plays Robin Hood, to go out with a bang as this is his last season. Fans are guessing that Clive Standen may take over as a new Robin Hood. He appears in the next episode (S03E11) and looks to remain through the end of the season. Not a bad coup if you want to get recommissioned; Richard Armitage and Clive Standen will make many mothers happy. Here's an interview with the BBC on his upcoming role.
Meanwhile, this week's episode was mostly flashback to Guy and Robin's childhood. Episode 9 ended with Guy's escape into the forest so he's still running around like a crazy man when the story opens. He bumps into Robin and the two are about to slice each other to bits when they're suddenly downed by poison darts. When they awake, a robed man schools them in their personal history. When Guy's father, Roger of Gisbourne, dies in the Holy Land, his French mother, Ghiselaine, is left lady of the manor, a move that irks the local bailiff who'd like this opportunity to steal the lands. Malcolm of Locksley rebuffs the bailiff and voices his support for Ghislaine - because he's secretly bedding her. But when Roger returns unexpectedly (he was only captured), things go to the shits. For one, his wife's pregnant with Malcolm's child, and two, he's kind of a leper. Not exactly a great homecoming. His son, meanwhile, is getting upstaged by local brat Robin, Malcolm's son. Robin is a wimpy showboat who almost gets Guy hanged to save his own skin.
When Roger is forced to leave town because of his leprosy, Malcolm and Ghislaine plan a quick wedding for the sake of their child, their lands, but mostly their reputations - something that doesn't go down well with the kiddies. Guy is generally upset at his parents for letting things unravel without any resistance and Robin just gets another excuse to whine. On the wedding day, Roger once again returns unexpectedly to reclaim his wife, Robin cries 'Leper!' in a crowded village, and Guy faces off with his future step-father. Needless to say, things go down in flames, literally. Roger, Ghislaine, and Malcolm get trapped in a burning house as their children look on. After everything's been properly toasted, the bailiff runs the Gisbourne children out of the village and almost does the same to Robin. Luckily, our golden boy pays a visit to his mother's grave and everything is illuminated; he rushes back to the village, shoots a few arrows, and declares himself protector - and he's only 10. What ambitions! Fast forward to present day. The robed man reveals himself to be Robin's father who apparently escaped the fire. He appeals to his son and Guy to save their brother who is holed up in York, waiting to dangle. In a classic case of shoot and run, Malcolm hits them again with poison darts and flees the scene. When the boys finally come to, they decide to run off together into the sunset, which is in the direction of York.
The introduction of another love triangle is not the most original route, but I think the writers did a decent job of piecing together a back story that fit into the general arc of the entire series. The episode itself was not the most compelling but it managed to be both functional and emotional, whatever you take that to mean. There was a good balance of plot devices, to be born out in next week's show (bringing Robin and Guy together, rescuing their brother with Isabella on their heels, collaborating with old enemies, possibly paving the way for a new Robin), and of characterization. This episode fills some of the character gaps previously alluded to but never addressed, especially with Guy. We know that he has some capacity for love and warmth - and not just because he's played by Richard Armitage - but that he's also inhibited by an overwhelming insecurity and sense of personal injustice. Guy's so grisly that he's never come off as one who enjoyed being evil for its own sake, unlike the Sheriff or Prince John; he'd just as well be the good guy if that meant power. And as if they needed more people to sympathize with Richard Armitage Guy, we finally get evidence of a man who got shafted by life, someone who was generous and dutiful but who loses his parents, his family's land, and gets kicked out of town. It alters our perception of the Robin-Guy relationship but I think more interestingly, it reveals a lot about Isabella and her character.
A last note on the acting. Richard Armitage manages to turn Guy into a sympathetic anti-hero you'd take home to mom, except that he kills people. Jonas Armstrong though.....I don't know, I've tried to give the guy a chance, 3 seasons' worth, but it's not working. He needs to demand a refund from RADA. Maybe it's just this show - I haven't seen his other work - but he has a total of 2 expressions: toothy grin and furrowed brow - which substitutes for angry, frustrated, sad, confused, and stern. He's not an entirely bad actor but I don't think I'm off base for expecting greater depth from the main character. Most of the time, Robin comes off pretty flat. For example, when the hooded man reveals himself to be Robin's dad, you'd expect a number of conflicting emotions to manifest at once. The joy of rediscovering his father must contend with the overwhelming sense of betrayal and abandonment, besides all of which he must reconcile with his father's relationship with Guy's mother and the fact that his brother is about to die. It seems, however, that Mr. Armstrong is only capable of handling one emotion at a time; he is disgusted with his father then seems to forgive him then is crying in his father's arms. Again, he's not terrible but he's not exactly subtle, which can be distracting when he's paired with better actors. His chemistry with the other outlaws is more palatable, however, though some also belong in the 'better actors' category. Because there's less antagonism, because Jonas-as-Robin doesn't have to juggle the archetypical good guy with the emotional nuance of a 'real' person??
The obsession continues.......At least the tv show that started my Alex Fong episode (浴火鳳凰 or Phoenix of the Ashes) is finished with his storyline. I think his character got blown up in a train. Pity. I think Shawn Yue kind of takes over from there. My life was already a certifiable mess when I was just interested in Richard Armitage, but now I have to toggle between the two.
Speaking of.....Over the weekend I caught the latest Robin Hood. Sometimes the show actually impresses. Something to do with expectations? I've concluded that this would be great to watch with the kids, if I had any. But it's still miserable to sit through on occasion. I think this season's suffered because of the change in cast; it's trying to reorient itself without a leading character while still maintaining continuity between this and the previous two seasons. I thought series one segued well into series two but the third has been lacking direction. Also we might attribute this to my watching solely for actors rather than any perceptible story, but again, because there's less story to watch for. The first two seasons had a good combination of sheer plot and action combined with some really intriguing characters. The ambiguity of Guy and Allan balanced the moral absolutism of most of the other characters. And their shifting loyalties were well-integrated with the plot. Guy is definitely less interesting this time around and Allan and most of the gang are all but invisible. Isabella has been a bright spot but I think the writers jerk her around from one extreme to the other so much that she loses a lot of nuance. I was looking forward to Friar Tuck as well, but he's disappointed so far, through no fault of David Harewood.
In any case, I write this because I thought that last weekend's episode returned to some of the emotional sophistication of the last two seasons. (Did I just use the word sophistication with Robin Hood?) It was nice seeing hints of goodness in Guy, and this is where Richard Armitage gets to show off that LAMDA training, or talent, whichever route you want to go. Being a baddie can be fun - see Toby Stephens who has been deliciously evil throughout his run. But the show has been lacking emotional traction since Guy's descent, so his relationship with Meg, a fellow prisoner played by Holliday Grainger, was refreshing. Actually, the interaction between Guy, Meg, and Isabella was challenging in that it gave substance to the whole sibling squabble. Previous episodes saw a duplicitous Isabella trying to stick it to her bastard brother, but their exchanges often felt like a ping pong match with nothing to really ground each other's accusations. The unexpected arrival of Isabella's husband and the ensuing chaos, however, gives new life to this relationship, particularly as Isabella is confronted with Guy's sympathies towards Meg, who tries to spring him from the dungeon after he demonstrates civility, even kindness, to her. (Side note: I thoroughly enjoyed Holliday Grainger's performance and hope to see more of her in the future. Which will probably happen because she's appeared in everything, including Merlin and Demons. I didn't particularly care for her in those roles but she was quite affecting as a headstrong but somewhat innocent girl here.) I'm at last looking forward to the next few episodes where it is revealed that Bobbin and Guy are brothers in one way or another. There will be some flashback sequences next week, so this should again give some emotional complexity to season, however belated.
Since I started the night obsessed about Alex Fong, I should end there too. His new movie comes out end of July, I believe. It's called 竊聽風雲 (Overheard) and also stars Lau Ching Wan, Daniel Wu, and Louis Koo. I'm excited about at least one of those actors. The movie's about stock traders and corruption, both things near and dear to Hong Kong. Presser the other day. The question everyone's asking: Why is Louis Koo in shorts? Or why such a flat title? Or why don't they make awesome thrillers with strong female characters in Hong Kong?
This looks like an unhealthy amount of testosterone.
I'm in poo up to my forehead because of an upcoming presentation, but I still managed to catch the latest Robin Hood (S03E06) - and it was fantastic! Well, as far as Robin Hood is concerned. I would almost say Toby Stephens steals the show, but Richard Armitage was involved in a pretty important plot sequence. The whole team of baddies was so much more intriguing than Robin and his hood. That whole gang is essentially shunted. Anyway, more to come. Hopefully the writers will continue the intrigue.
(Also watched the first episode of the new series of Ashes to Ashes. I don't think I caught too many full episodes of the last series as I'm still working on the first series of Life on Mars. But I do like Keeley Hawes, possibly because of my Spooks bias, so hope to find time to address some of the criticisms of her and the direction of the show.)
TV BAFTAs are tonight! Richard Armitage and Hermione Norris are slated to present. French and Saunders are up for a special award so perhaps a little Harry Jasper Kennedy action? Also, Spooks is up for best drama series. If they don't win, I hope they send in Lucas North to set things right. No one seems to think it will, but The Guardian is a fan.
Meanwhile, the preview for episode 6 of Robin Hood looks...good. Richard Armitage and Toby Stephens? That's somewhat indulgent.
I'm sleep deprived, which usually means I can watch youtube for hours. So I was reading about the Hillsborough tragedy and ended up watching a documentary. Really sad. Then I saw another article on BBC about a man who wrestled a python for 3 hrs and then bit it after the bastard took the fight up a tree. Pythons are mean motherfuckers. So I watched some python eating animals 5x as big videos. There was a really good one that showed it eating a deer or gazelle, something with antlers. That is insanity. It also showed how the jaw/head is made of multiple parts so that it can swallow a boar or something. I also watched a really old black and white clip from some crazy safari like it was out of a Kipling novel. There was a python and lion were engaged in a monster battle. (Lion won.) I can only take so many crazy animal films though, so I watched some Richard Armitage to calm myself down, though he obviously has the opposite effect. I ended up watching some clips from Robin Hood, and I would just like to say that Lucy Griffiths is a little girl to Richard Armitage's Guy of Gisbourne. What's creepy is not his guyliner but the fact that he wants to bed someone half his age. I thought the show was supposed to be age appropriate.
Watching:North and South Listening: the whirring of my computer Reading: newspapers and news magazines and news blogs because I'm a news whore
News of the Day:
Happy Easter!!!
Right, there's no real news of the day. It's quite late and I'm tired. Since Lent is over, I indulged in some youtube and tv. :( But now I have ~500 words to write before I can call it a night. Time was wasted on the following: random Chinese music videos, random Richard Armitage clips from Spooks, et al. But my real discovery was a tv show Mr. Armitage did some time ago called Between the Sheets. It's about tangled sex lives, billing itself as a grown-up conversation about the real issues complicating today's sexual relationships. Mr. Armitage plays Paul, a youth offender officer, who is in a relationship with Alona, a sex therapist to the other main couples of the show. (This is more of a subplot - but a zexy one.) Shit goes down when Paul is accused of having sex with one of his underage charges and Alona isn't sure whether or not she believes his denial.
So here are the 6 lengthy clips that some wonderful person has edited onto youtube. Thoughts below.
Shoddy dye job, super creepy facial hair.
So that was mucho disturbing. I'm going to blame tonight's lack of productivity on the fact that I'm still reeling from this revelation. I've only seen what's on youtube but if you read the comments, apparently Paul agreed to oral sex with the girl, after denying anything more than a second of wanting to kiss her. The shock isn't what he did so much that he managed to get away with the deception. Creepy, creepy bastard. The worst of it is, I really don't want to think of someone with Richard Armitage's face as a sex offender!! Alas, the perils of acting. Anyway, two thumbs up for a stellar performance. The man is this side of awesome.
(I did try to erase this Paul character from my brain so I popped in ol' North and South instead. Ahh, Thornton. Feel free to love and possess me.)
Oh, I do have a Robin Hood update. Guy is apparently on hiatus for the next two episodes (S03E03-04) so nothing to indulge in really, though I'm a mild Joe Armstrong fan and I find David Harewood intriguing. Episode 2 was ~mehmeh~. I've concluded that I really can't enjoy the show because I'm caught in the middle of the two main demographics they're aiming for. I'm not 10, though my interests often indicate otherwise, nor do I have a 10 year old to enjoy it with. So it's hard not to be cynical about a show that I usually watch whilst hunched over a computer screen in my mini-room and that features some, quite frankly, shitteous dialogue. The Robin Hood world doesn't claim the most elegant of speakers for sure. And none of the many themes and undercurrents of the show really impress on me; again, probably because I'm at least twice the age of half the viewers. Love? Mr. Thornton cures that. Adventure? I have a couple months to write 2 chapters of my thesis. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor? In America, we steal from the poor and give to the rich, so that also qualifies as 'adventure'. Nevertheless, looking forward to Guy's return in another week's time. Hope Prince John (Toby Stephens) will string along.
Despite having largely given up television for Lent (read: youtube and youku), I managed to sneak a peek at a few shows. Two more weeks of swearing off the hard stuff in the name of God, many more months in the name of my still sparse thesis.
The Wire starts its BBC run this week. Television snobs turn up their noses at the plebs who are just now discovering this masterpiece of corruption, violence, addiction, and general ineptitude. An American tragedy, indeed. **Okay, I confess I have not seen it. But I've also been abroad and HBO-less. (For the record, Dominic West has been on my radar since that odious Midsummer Night's Dream adaptation, an effort sullied by those occasional American 'actors'.)
Horne and Corden - shitteous!!! A opus of inanity. The penis on the roof is funnier, and more mature, than this assault on the eyeballs. All you need to know is that James Corden is fat and Mathew Horne is slightly effeminate. I forced myself to laugh one time because of my now very residual affection for James Corden from History Boys. Lesbian Vampire Killers, their new flick? I'd rather watch Tom Cruise. Happy Lent, boys - I will absolve them of their sin if they watch their own show 100x and promise never to venture into sketch again.
Robin Hood returns not so merrily. When we left them in the Holy Land, Guy of Gisbourne had just plunged a broadsword into Maid Marian's tum. Ouch. But she still hung on long enough to cough up some marriage vows and sweet nothings. But now Robin is pissed and Guy needs to get himself to an AA meeting, and a barbershop. Basically, Locksley sucks. Will the arrival of a few hot chicks and a black Friar Tuck liven things up?? 12 more episodes to find out. Re the criticismsover our improbably kick-ass Friar Tuck - get over it because y'all didn't complain when the Holy Land looked like Tatooine. It's a bloody tv show about a guy who, in past incarnations, wore green tights and was a FOX (the animal, not the woman).
The Great Sperm Race is the first show I've watched narrated by Richard Armitage (see above, Guy of Gisbourne). What can you say about a documentary that inflates the Gherkin (the bullet building in London) into a giant testical, casts thousands of actors in white sweats as human-size sperm, and compares the female reproductive parts to various natural terrain? Entertaining, but not quite as romantic as say Richard Armitage expounding on trade and production in North and South.
I'm not a vampire-werewolf-ghost fan, so Being Human appears on my radar only because of Russell Tovey (the werewolf), another History Boys alum. I'll offer some cerebral praise. Spot-on acting, engaging characters, wide appeal bereft of obvious pandering and appeals. There are enough plot twists (episode and series) to push the story forward but never in ways that compromise the organic growth of the characters.
When there's not much to write about.....how I became an avowed Richard Armitage fan.
After perusing the fan forums, I conclude that I'm not entirely off the deep end, though admittedly more delusional than your average television viewer. Still nuts enough to write an entire blog post about an actor though, as if obsessing alone somehow dampens the crazy factor. It doesn't.
Crazy kicked off with a random viewing of North Square, a show about some posh totty lawyers. RPJ played his usual smug, smart, but somehow lovable self. Aboutthis time, the 7th series of Spookswas starting. I gave it a go, only because of one Rupert Penry-Jones. Little did I know he was going to get blown up in the first episode, or that I wouldn't miss him at all thereafter, or that the show would be awesome. Didn't really pay attention when Lucas North was first dragged out with a bag over his head. It wasn't until the conversation in the car with Harry Pierce that the man even registered on the radar. It's the moment when Lucas says that he'd agree to play spy for the Russians and he gets this look...is he really a double agent? Verrry intriguing. While everyone else was deciding what side he's on, I was trying to figure out if this scraggly actor (his character had just emerged from 8 years of Russian imprisonment) was dangerously handsome or just a skinny dude who needed a haircut, a shower, and some chicken.
Well, we know how that one turned out. Here is where credit goes to the show for its delicious powers of seduction. Those first 60 minutes of season 7 were television crack. There were many plot and character strands that converged into one explosive climax - possible double agent, massive bomb plot, kidnapped soldier. What really hooked me though was the return of Ros, agent extraordinaire. If MI5 recruited more people like her, they wouldn't be leaving shit in cabs and trains all the time. In her opening scene, she is informed by the Section D that her mission is compromised, and she's ordered out of Russia where she's working undercover. But one phone call ain't stopping this woman. She's minutes away from reaching her contact, and when she arrives, the guy's dead. As she's searching his body for information, she spies, from a beer bottle, an assassin. Within seconds, she disposes of the guy, probably with her bare hands and without secreting a bead of sweat. In my Second Life, I want to be Ros.
But I diverge. By now, I'm hooked, and since Lucas North is kind of a major character, and because he appears tattooed, shirtless, and ripped, my curiosity is piqued. Naturally, I do a little research. I don't remember what came next - Robin Hood, Vicar of Dibley, or North and South - but the combination of those 3, plus the ongoing series of Spooks was like Charlie getting lost in the Chocolate Factory (wait a minute...). Pure imagination and sensory overload.
100 pretty cool things we learned in 2008, including purple carrots, lions in the Tower of London, sinking pears, pigs' fear of dirt, rice gods, desert dust, ammo-toting bears.....
I nabbed this quote from the Bottle Shock trailer. It's a movie about Napa Valley kicking France's ass in a wine tasting competition. Alan Rickman plays the snooty Brit to Bill Pullman's flannel-wearing American.
"Why don't I like you?" "Because you think I'm an ass. And I'm not really; I'm just British, and well, you're not."
Beard Talk: A couple weeks ago, I think Scott Mills had a segment on beards, as in hot beards v quick! shave the motherf*r off beards. I forgot who made their list of notables but I'm pretty sure they omitted the entire Robin Hood crew. So I'll render a verdict and that is the whole gang passes, including Keith Allen's Sheriff. It must be said that Jonas Armstrong's (Robin) can get overgrown, to the point that you could braid it and pin ribbons into it. Harry Lloyd's (Will Scarlett) 'stache is borderline child molester creepy but saved by Lloyd's charm. All beat out Prince William.
Little Hitler wants a birthday cake too. (This one actually left me speechless.)
Adultery cuts both ways, unless you're in South Korea.
Merlinconcludes and my verdict - indifferent. I found nothing particularly captivating throughout the 13 episodes. The scripts were CW/WB grade, which I guess satisfied one demographic. I was reminded of Robin Hoodin this regard, which is too bad because both offered a chance for me to indulge in a variety of national lore that we don't get in America. (Networks should take a cue from 1980s Disney Channel which produced "family entertainment" that still holds up.) The acting was adequate to less than impressive. Of the two leads, I preferred Colin Morgan (Merlin), maybe because Bradley James (Arthur) consistently emitted dumb jock vibes. He had his sympathetic moments (e.g. helping Mordred escape, pleading on behalf of Gwen's father) but the character remained largely unchanged from his initial appearance. And despite consistent assertions that Arthur would one day be a great king, what precisely did he do to warrant such praises? The plot may have moved merrily along, but the characters were static. (Morgana could have been an exception had Katie McGrath not overplayed the cold, bewitching stare and underplayed everything else.) I suppose the sets were a nice diversion (French castles, Welsh countryside) from your usual tv fare, but if BBC was going for mini-epic, more dynamic direction would have helped. The shots were unnecessarily flat, which kind of deflated the excitement of shooting in a truly grand castle (per the behind-the-scenes footage). Maybe it's time to admit that I'm either too old or need children to enjoy this one, but I'm a sucker so I'll probably try it again next season.
Today (or last Sunday) in music...Alexandra Burke wonX Factor, which doesn't mean much to me as I eschew reality shows. (But copious thanks to them for giving us Leona Lewis, and I shame to say that I like Leon Jackson's new song; I am also a mellow sap.) Her cover of Hallelujah strikes me as heavy, but that could be because I've been listening to Rufus Wainwright's version. I like the melancholy that accompanies his lighter vocals.....but what do I know about music?
Finally in reading...Irevisited Macbethfor the first time in 10 years, admittedly cheating with Sparknotes' No Fear Shakespeare. Two things encouraged this foray - my current taking to Richard Armitage, who was Macduff to James McAvoy's Macbeth in BBC's ShakespeaREtold, and more practically, tickets to the show on Sunday. I saw Scotland's Theatre Babel's staging in Hong Kong. Since I haven't been a regular theatre-goer (a matter of economics rather than a distaste for the arts), I can only say intriguing, enjoyable, with reservations. It was performed in a black box and I had a front row seat - because who doesn't want an intimate relationship with death and destruction? The intrigue came from the cozy setting, and the 40 swords dangling above the performance space, which I thought was used to mostly good effect. (It should be remembered that this was the weekend immediately following the knife swap incident in Vienna.) It was half-enjoyable because it moved at a clipped pace, having been whittled down to 90 minutes. But Macbethis already a midgie - what else do you cut?! One might justify lobbing off 1/3 of Hamlet or King Lear but methinks Shakespeare was already quite efficient this go-around. In particular, I missed the generous interlude in Act IV between Macduff and Malcolm, which was present of course but not intact nor as grave. And I guess that's what I felt about the production overall, that it played like Macbeth Lite, which in the world of Shakespearean tragedies, seems counterintuitive.
I haven't chewed over the BBC remake, but briefly, it is a modern adaptation - in a 4 star restaurant specializing in offal delights. This will either turn you completely on or off, especially an early scene where pretty boy Macbeth plops a pig's head on the counter and quasi-caresses the thing before hacking it to delicious bits. "Joe" Macbeth is the sous chef for food celebrity Duncan (Vincent Regan). Chef Billy Banquo (Joseph Millson), maitre d' Ella Macbeth (Keeley Hawes), and head waiter Peter Macduff are also under dear Duncan's employ. That the cast is as beautiful as it is talented is, sadly, irrelevant. Here is another case of arranging pieces of plot to fit the original text; the elements are present but little else. One could say plenty about the celebrity food culture given our addiction to Food Network and its galaxy of rotund stars (minus Giada), but this is left wholly unexplored. You could easily substitute a kitchen knife fight with a California Fitness gym battle (hmm......). So again, another stripped down Shakespeare. All this leads me back to the one place that would make my teachers proud - the original text.
