The crisis of leadership Britain has been plunged into over recent years merits sustained study as a cautionary tale. But it demands deeper and sharper analysis than is available in “This England,” a curiously indifferent six-part miniseries notionally centred on former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s handling of the initial coronavirus outbreak, currently limping out on Sky’s U.K. arm.
When Winterbottom’s Revolution Films announced the project (originally titled “This Sceptred Isle”) last year – with Kenneth Branagh unveiled as the project’s Johnson – speculation was rife. Would the series be an ensemble satire, along the lines of Winterbottom’s rambunctious “24 Hour Party People”? Or an artfully sober inquiry, in the vein of the director’s Amanda Knox-inspired “The Face of an Angel”? In fact, it’s neither: what we’ve got is a hurriedly assembled primetime procedural that undermines its claim to rigorous accuracy from the off...
When Winterbottom’s Revolution Films announced the project (originally titled “This Sceptred Isle”) last year – with Kenneth Branagh unveiled as the project’s Johnson – speculation was rife. Would the series be an ensemble satire, along the lines of Winterbottom’s rambunctious “24 Hour Party People”? Or an artfully sober inquiry, in the vein of the director’s Amanda Knox-inspired “The Face of an Angel”? In fact, it’s neither: what we’ve got is a hurriedly assembled primetime procedural that undermines its claim to rigorous accuracy from the off...
- 10/7/2022
- by Mike McCahill
- Variety Film + TV
It was quite the week for British politics, with the scandal leading to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation briefly making America look tame by comparison.
After it was revealed that the controversial politician had promoted a member of Parliament to a senior whipping position despite knowledge of sexual misconduct allegations against the man, Johnson faced a series of high profile defections and resignations within his party. Though he resisted calls to resign for as long as he could — as he had done in the past — the resignations ultimately snowballed until he could no longer remain in power.
In the entertainment world, his resignation immediately prompted speculation that “This England,” an upcoming Sky miniseries starring Kenneth Branagh as Johnson, would be forced to shoot additional scenes. The show generated some buzz when it released the first footage of Johnson as Branagh, and many thought that the creative team would...
After it was revealed that the controversial politician had promoted a member of Parliament to a senior whipping position despite knowledge of sexual misconduct allegations against the man, Johnson faced a series of high profile defections and resignations within his party. Though he resisted calls to resign for as long as he could — as he had done in the past — the resignations ultimately snowballed until he could no longer remain in power.
In the entertainment world, his resignation immediately prompted speculation that “This England,” an upcoming Sky miniseries starring Kenneth Branagh as Johnson, would be forced to shoot additional scenes. The show generated some buzz when it released the first footage of Johnson as Branagh, and many thought that the creative team would...
- 7/10/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
This is the Pure Movies review of The Violators, directed by Helen Walsh, and starring Lauren McQueen (The Mill, Ordinary Lies) and Brogan Ellis (Waterloo Road) alongside Stephen Lord (Penny Dreadful, Shameless, Route Irish), Liam Ainsworth (Kajaki), Derek Barr (Pride) and newcomer Callum King Chadwick. The Violators is a wounding look at a young woman’s navigation through life whilst encountering dangerous men at every corner, chipping away at her hardened exterior. Bestselling author Helen Walsh (The Lemon Grove) has translated her interest in transgressive sexualities, gender and class onto film. With a female writer and director, and starring two female protagonists, The Violators is significant in a time where there is a perceived dearth of women film directors. The events of the story are shocking but the waves this film will make in terms of disturbing the male-dominated status quo of cinema will be more deeply felt.
- 7/12/2016
- by Helen Chapman
- Pure Movies
The directorial debut of Helen Walsh, The Violators follows the lives of two teenage girls as they navigate the trials and tribulations of their (seemingly) radically different lives. Shelly (Lauren McQueen) lives with her older brother Andy (Derek Barr) and younger half-brother Jerome (Callum King Chadwick) on a rough council estate in Birkenhead. Despite having […]
The post The Violators Review appeared first on HeyUGuys.
The post The Violators Review appeared first on HeyUGuys.
- 6/15/2016
- by Lauren Burgess
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
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