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dennis-111
Reviews
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)
The creme de la creme of performances by Maggie Smith
I saw this film thirty years ago and Maggie Smith's performance still rates as one of the finest on screen. The storyline is already well known. I just want to crow about her presence in the movie. This woman even managed to blush when she and Mr Lloyd were caught in a clinch by Mary MacGregor! All these years later I still recall the line she delivered so witheringly when she heard that the music teacher she had once been linked with was finally going the marry the science teacher "Do you not think that with one snap of my fingers I couldn't send Miss (beat) Lockhart back to her gaseous domain!" Rent the video and whoop with delight at the sheer brilliance of this woman.
Robert Stephens was the least convincing of the lead performers, beside his then wife he was positively wooden. I saw them together on the London Stage in Hedda Gabler and they electrified the place! This film though was all about her. Her scenes with the Head Teacher were astonishing " I didn't want to be late - or early!"
A joy!
Hearts and Bones (2000)
A fine example of the ensemble piece genre.
A fantastic piece of work by Stuart Harcourt, who has managed to create a series in which you actually like all the characters - what a feat. Even Emma's boss inspired a kind of sympathy. To actually care what happens to all the characters is an emotion not usually inspired in viewers of this kind of genre - Cold Feet achieved a similar effect.
A special mention for Amanda Holden who managed to pull off a magnificent performance as Louise Slaney, the not so hard bitten "seen it all" kind of 90's broad. She was inspired. The lines generously sent her way were not wasted - her voice over from the other side of Michael's door in the final episode was a gem of delivery.
Thanks goodness another series has been commissioned. Can we wait a year - thats the big question?
Reach for the Moon (2000)
I grew increasingly disappointed as each episode unfolded.
What a shame that a film that started off with such promise grew increasingly banal. The story lines became weaker with each episode and descended into the incredible. For instance the scene where the main character's mother and the head teacher managed to frighten off the local hoodlum by threatening to disallow his son from playing football, was very poor.
In the first episode the dialogue was tight and punchy and augered well for further viewing. Unfortunately it slid downhill with the introduction on soap-opera quality sub plots woven into each weeks episode. More could have been made of the main character's tensions around the triangular relationship instead of slipping in unappealing minor characters and sub-stories. The acting became increasingly wooden, particularly amongst the younger actors (school children).
Well acted by Linda Bellingham and Peter McEnery, but the choice of the actor playing the main character was all wrong for the simple reason that his Northern acccent kept slipping out, even though it was meant to be the Isle of Wight.
Great advertisement for the island. they'll be inundated with rubber neckers now. But I'm disappointed that Matthew Graham gave the nod to having his name put on the writing credits.