I was motivated to write this entry today following the news that GoT screenwriter Bryan Cogman has left Twitter. He explains that this is due to negative backlash on some of the creative decisions made by the team. I can respect Mr. Cogman's decision and am sorry that the feedback he received was phrased in a negative and hurtful way. As a fan of both book and TV adaptation, I would like to share my thoughts. One of George R.R. Martin's strengths as a writer is in his characterization. The multiple point of view structure of the novels allows him to populate his world with characters as varied as a young tomboy, a young Queen coming to grips with her newfound power and a smart dwarf who wears his armour in his mind and for us to get to know and love them. Each of these characters has a well thought out story arc with its own emotional beats, and following these characters on their respective journeys is one of the pleasures of reading A Song of Ice and Fire. HBO has brought together a fantastic cast and crew to bring these characters to life, and it has been a…
Over the last few days I have watched three very different productions of Sherlock Holmes; an episode of the 1980s Granada television series starring Jeremy Brett, the modern day BBC production starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Downey Jr's return to the role in the movie Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows. All of these are excellent in their own way, but are very, very different from each other. Of the three, the Jeremy Brett version is the closest to the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle conception of the consulting detective. Granada Television set out to make a series that was faithful to the source material, and many consider Brett to be the definitive Holmes of his generation. The series captured very well Holmes' brilliant intellect and mercurial nature. The BBC production is very different; updated and set in the modern era, it has a very different vibe to it, but it still captures Holmes' lightning quick mind and ascorbic personality. Brilliantly played by Cumberbatch, you can almost see the wheels clicking round in his mind as he works through the mystery. More so than the Brett production it places a strong emphasis on the relationship between Holmes and Watson, played by…
Today I went out to the cinema despite the freezing cold to see this movie. Technically, it was excellent, with some superb performances, Gary Oldman and Benedict Cumberbatch both giving standout performances. Of course, it helped that all the main leads are very easy on the eye. However, as a woman, I was shocked by how darned chauvinistic it was. There was barely a single female character who wasn’t a) simple arm candy for the main characters b) a glorified tealady c) an adulteress or d) a damsel in distress the rescue of whom is held out as a reward for one of the main male characters The only positive female character , a smart secretary who seemed to know what was what (who got maybe 10 minutes’ screen time) was portrayed as less than traditionally attractive, and was forcibly put out to pasture (retired) very early on. Sadly, I fear that’s not too far from the truth of life in the 1970s British intelligence service. It’s been a while since I read John Le Carré’s novel on which the movie is based, so I can’t recall exactly if it’s as chauvinistic. When speaking with friends they asked me what…
Now that autumn's here, it's time to curl up with a mug of hot chocolate, a purring cat on your lap (or in the case of Meret, a biting cat…), to watch the new TV season. There are several new and returning shows that I am following: Desperate Housewives (ABC): this is the final season for Bree, Susan, Gaby and Lynette, and after eight years of following their exploits, I feel morally obliged to watch, despite the lacklustre effort of the last few seasons. If nothing else, the increase in tension of not knowing if all four are going to make it to the end of the season does add a bit of interest. There is a conscious effort to come full circle with many events this season echoing back to the first season, which is very nicely done. Glee (Fox): I absolutely adored Glee's first season. The mix of music and characters was fun TV viewing. Unfortunately, the second season had a major slump, focusing too much on new characters and not so much on those we'd come to love over the first season. The producers are promising a return to first season goodness, but we shall see. So far…
Having watched some excellent quality drama recently I decided to review what they had in common. First of all, it would probably help if I gave examples of what I consider quality television. It includes, but is not limited to: the Sci-Fi Channel's reimagined Battlestar Galactica, ABC's Lost, HBO's highly acclaimed production of George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones, and the UK's ITV channel Downton Abbey. At first glance, these may not seem to have much in common. What connection could there possibly be between a futuristic sci-fi drama, a time-travel mystery, a swords and sorcery fantasy series and a period piece set in early 20th century England? The answer, dear reader, is characters, people in whom we have a vested interest, portrayed by competent actors. We may not necessarily like the characters, but we do have to want to know what happens to them. It is not even a case of identifying with the characters. I have never been stranded on a mystery island with a Smoke Monster, nor survived a robotic genocidal attack. However, at the core of all of these shows is human interacting with human, humans dealing with situations outside their comfort zone, humans dealing…