Category Archives: British

2010, Abduction, Action sequences, British, British Mystery Series, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Conspiracy, Corny at times, Corrupt Prison Guards, Drugs, Eccentric cast of characters, Eccentric Detective, Fist Fight, Mental Illness, Murder Investigation, Must suspend disbelief, Netflix Streaming, Outrageous Behavior, Psychiatrists, Psychopath, Revenge, Sadism, Suspense, Unbelievably smart detective, Unusual, Violent

Sherlock (2010)

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From Netflix you can stream 4 seasons of Sherlock Holmes stories. Seasons 1,2, and 4 have 3 episodes. Season 3 has 4 episodes. Each episode lasts 88 or 89 minutes.

Because there have been so many presentations involving the famous British detective, let’s be clear: In this series four of the many actors are:

Adjectives that describe this particularly imaginative adaptation are: eccentric, exaggerated, implausible, sometimes repellent.

Much of the time Sherlock indulges himself by  showing off his brilliant deductive genius.  At other times he is busy confusing his poor companion  Dr. Watson.  When he is bored he uses cocaine.

Toward the end of the seasons, especially in season 4, the plot devices are just plain over the top and unbelievable.  Also there is a lot of sadistic cruelty on the part of the last villainess, which repelled me.

If nothing else, these episodes are certainly not dull. Hang on tight!

2019, Abuse of Women, Acceptable for teenagers, Acorn TV, British, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister relations, Bullying, Dancing, Divorce, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Jealousy, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Narcissist, Personal Betrayal, Sex Scenes, Spousal Abuse, Wife Beating, Wonderful acting

Gold Digger (2019)

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From Acorn TV:

On her 60th birthday, Julia (Emmy® winner Julia Ormond, Mad Men, Legends of the Fall) hits it off with handsome young Benjamin (Ben Barnes, The Chronicles of Narnia films, Westworld). But their whirlwind romance is marred by the disapproval of Julia’s adult children. Does Benjamin truly love her, or is he the gold digger her family believes him to be? “Bold and hugely entertaining” –The Guardian.

From Acorn TV you can stream the 6 episodes of this British thriller. Each episode lasts about an hour. There is a 7th episode that interviews the actors.

All the acting is splendid as is this riveting series.

  • Julia Ormond  is perfectly cast as the wealthy, beautiful, lonely Julia Day whose 60 years stand in stark contrast to the young Benjamin Greene.  Her acting resumé is most impressive. During filming Ms. Ormond was actually 54 years old.
  •  In the story no mention is made of the character Benjamin Green’s numerical age. Ben Barnes the actor was 38 years old during the filming.  His own acting resumé is noteworthy.
  •  One good villain is sometimes all it takes to make a story captivating.  In this respect Alex Jennings as Julia’s former husband Ted fits the bill to perfection. His portrayal of an aging narcissist is all too human.  From his resumé you will note that Alex Jennings has appeared in just about everything (slight exaggeration, but wow!)
  •  You might recognize Nikki Amuka-Bird as DCI Erin Gray from the series “Luther.”  In her role as Julia’s  friend Marsha I could only feel sorry for her despite her having betrayed Julia.

Is Benjamin a gold digger or is he genuinely in love with Julia?

DO NOT MISS!

2020, Acceptable for teenagers, Agatha Christie, Amazon Prime, Ambiguous Conclusion, British, British Mystery Series, Confusing Plot, Contract Killing, Detective, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Imperfect, Marital Infidelity, Mediocre, Murder Investigation, Plot twists, Psychological Thriller, Small British village, Witchcraft

The Pale Horse (2020)

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From IMDB:

Is a trio of witches responsible for a series of sudden deaths or is there a rational explanation?

From Amazon Prime you can stream both hour-long episodes of this mystery story supposedly based on a story by Agatha Christie.

But don’t bother with this adaptation. Thank to a warning found in IMDB:

Sarah Phelps “version” is a complete mess. The production has an excellent cast including Rufus Sewell, who is magnificent as usual. The set design and costumes are top notch and even the cinematography and music are good, but…

Sarah Phelp’s story, script and directing are terrible. She makes an utter train wreck out of the original story and what’s left makes no sense at all. I can only hope that Sarah Phelps writes and creates her own scripts for future projects as she has no talent adapting existing stories.

Much of what the reviewer says rings true. Oddly enough I enjoyed watching what is essentially a good production. Indeed Rufus Sewell is very good.  But the ending left me confused.

If you are interested, read the Wikipedia account of the novel where you will see that there is very little in common with the two versions.

Skip this unfortunately watchable mess.

2019, Abduction, Amazon Prime, Boating, British, British Mystery Series, Brother-Sister relations, Crime, Detective, Drug Dealers, Drugs, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Marital Infidelity, Mentally impaired person, Missing Person, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder, Murder Investigation, Sex Scenes, Suspense, Teenagers, Torture, Violent

The Bay (2019)

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THIRD SEASON:

This hit original crime drama returns with White Collar’s Marsha Thomason as DS Jenn Townsend, who must get under the skin of a complicated family to solve the death of a young aspiring boxer.

From Amazon there is now a third season each of whose 6 episodes last about 45 minutes.

Lead detective is a newcomer D.S. Jenn Townsend, played by Marsha Thomason.  Her personal difficulties conflict with her investigation into the beating death of one of the sons in a Muslim family headed by the mother Miriam Rahman, played by Rina Mahoney.

D.S. Townsend is divorced and is now living with her two children and a new lover Chris Fischer, played by Barry Sloane.  Chris has his own two children, one of whom is very difficult and quite nasty toward one of Townsend’s children Conor. Conor is desperately unhappy and wants to return to his father.

In the Rahman family in addition to the dead boxer son, there is a troublesome Adnan and deaf-mute Jamal. Fortunately Townsend’s sidekick D.S. Karen Hobson, played by Eric Shanagher, knows sign language and can communicate with the devout Muslim Jamal.

Another great season well worth watching.

SECOND SEASON:

From Amazon there is now a second season also with 6 episodes and a complete story.

Acting and plot continue to be worthwhile watching.  Once again the human interest is at least as important as the crimes (plural) involved.  Lisa starts out as an underdog in the police department but by the end of the 6 episodes she shines at the top while having suffered along with many other characters in the interim.

Still very much worth a watch.

FIRST SEASON:

From Amazon Prime:

When Family Liaison Officer Lisa Armstrong is assigned to a missing persons investigations, it initially seems like any other – tragic, but all too familiar. This time, it is especially challenging for her not to get emotionally involved.

From Amazon Prime you can stream the 6 45-minute episodes of this TV series. It may be called Season 1 but any following season does not seem likely because the story is complete in 6 episodes.

If everyone involved is somehow badly affected in a plot, is that plot called a tragedy?  This story comes across as bad news for all the characters.

Telling you how the story starts is not a spoiler since it happens immediately at the beginning.  You see the officer Lisa going out for a “girls night out” in a night club.  She hooks up with a stranger and they have sex outside in an ally behind the club.  From then on the plot thickens. Murder, drugs, delinquent children, infidelity, assault, and missing persons are all on the list.

Among the delinquents are Lisa own two children. Fortunately her mother lives with her and usually substitutes for Lisa who is too often called away with some emergency.   Holly, the missing girl, is a member of the dysfunctional Meredith family which has the usual problems (unfaithful dad, etc.) and also has a live-in grandmother.  These two families have real problems with their children, and their lives intertwine.

Similar to many such detective series, but the human interest in the 6 episodes held our attention.

 

2020, Acceptable for teenagers, Based on a Book, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, British, Clever Plot, Complicated, Conspiracy, DO NOT MISS, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Father-son relations, Financial malfeasance, Friendship, Happy Family Gatherings, High school students, Illegitimate Child, Marital Infidelity, Muchausen's by proxy, Muchausen's syndrome, Murder, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Nudity, Personal Betrayal, Police Corruption, Suspense, Teenagers, Thriller, Violent, Wife leaves husband, Womanizing

The Stranger (2020)

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From IMDB:

Follows the lives of suburban families whose secrets and lies are made public by the appearance of a stranger.

From Netflix you can stream the 8 roughly 50 minute episodes of this thriller based on the book The Stranger which Harlan Coben wrote in 2015.

Starting in 1995 Harlan Coben (who at this writing is 58 years old) has written a book a year. If you have never read a book by Coben and if you like clever thrillers, you are in for a treat. So far every Coben book I have read was gripping and a real pleasure.

Plot is all important and usually complicated in a Coben novel. However his treatment of character is well done. In the TV version the actors do not disappoint:

All this actors have incredibly extensive resumés. You just cannot go wrong watching this series.

DO NOT MISS!

2012, Acceptable for teenagers, Acorn TV, Blackmail, Bloody scenes, British, False Imprisonment, Family Conflict, Illegitimate Child, Mother-daughter relations, Murder, Surprise Ending, Vulgar

The Poison Tree (2012)

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From Acorn TV:

Emmy nominee Matthew Goode (A Discovery of Witches, The Crown) stars in this “gripping… psychological crime thriller” (Mirror, UK) of deception, seduction, and twisted family ties. Released from prison, convicted murderer Rex returns home to his devoted wife, Karen (MyAnna Buring, Ripper Street), who has always maintained his innocence. But Karen is hiding darker secrets than even Rex realizes

From Acorn TV  you  can stream the two 45-minute episodes of this twisted tale of murder and deception.

Clever plot, attention to details, and good actors make this story worth watching.  Even the ending was somewhat of a surprise.

2001, Amazon Prime, Art Marketing, Based on true facts, British, Cancer theme, Drama, Flashbacks, Friendship, Narcissist, Nudity, Plot Twist, Suicide

Morlang (2001)

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From Amazon Prime:

A chilling, psychological drama about jealousy, betrayal and revenge.  A married couple copes with an affair, but once betrayed, can you trust the one you love? Official Selection – Tribeca and Rotterdam International Film Festivals.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 35 minute feature film.

Julius Morlang,  a photographic artist, is played by Paul Freeman about whom the following is written in IMDB:

Probably one of Britain’s most underrated actors, Paul Freeman has accumulated literally hundreds of screen credits over several decades, most notably as the main villain in the Steven Spielberg classic Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and he has worked extensively in the theatre, but he has managed to avoid becoming a star or even a household name.

As a technique for telling the story,  the film sequencing  does the following;  Show a short scene. Let the story develop more. Return to that short scene but this time show the rest of what REALLY happened.  In an extreme way, the script really jumps back and forth in time.

From the beginning it would appear that Julius Morlang is just an emotionally repressed man who remains silent while refusing to communicate or even acknowledge his and his wife’s concerns.  But if you can stick with the film to the end you are In for a big surprise.  Perhaps I am slow, but I just did not see the truth until the end.  Do not stop watching until you see screen credits because there is another surprise waiting in addition to what you think is the big revelation.  To avoid a spoiler I purposely omitted some appropriate categories for the film.

Possibly slow, but well worth watching.

2007, Acceptable for teenagers, Alcoholism, Amazon Prime, Basically Sad, British, Controlling personality, Drama, Revenge, Wonderful acting

Capturing Mary (2007)

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From IMDB:

A young man ushers an older woman into a dark exploration of her past – back to the time when, as a young girl, she met a stranger who affected her life forever.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 45 minute complete film.

“Joe’s Palace” was reviewed immediately before “Capturing Mary” which is somewhat of a sequel to “Joe’s Palace”. That is to say, the story takes place in the same well-kept but empty London town house with the same door keeper  Joe again played by Danny Lee Wynter. But this time who should come to the door but an elderly Maggie Smith playing Mary Gilbert.  In this film from 2007 Maggie Smith was 75 years old. She makes no attempt at remedial makeup because she portrays a sad, regretful, possibly alcoholic woman whose life was ruined by a controlling and vindictive man Greville White played by David Walliams. If you go to IMDB and look at Mr. Walliams’ resumé you will discover that the list is impressive.

Once again Ruth Wilson shines in her part as young Mary Gilbert. Be sure to read about her performance in “Dark River“.  In the title, it seems to me that the word “capturing” should have been “rescuing” because the emphasis in the plot is  the help that the young compassionate doorman Joe gives to Mary.

Although the plot in “Joe’s Palace” was more captivating, the appeal of “Capturing Mary” is attention to detail and fine acting.  In some ways much of the film involves talking heads. Indeed this film is in no way an action film. Neither was “Joe’s Palace” an action film but there were scenes you might never forget.

So I won’t call this film a “DO NOT MISS”. However I will be sorry if you miss this fine film.

2009, Adultery, Amazon Prime, Anti-Semitism, Art Treasures, Attempted Suicide, British, Could Be Sad, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Ethical struggles, Explicit sex, Extramarital Affair, Father-son relations, Marital Infidelity, Nazis, Nudity, Womanizing

Joe’s Palace (2009)

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From Amazon Prime:

An empty London mansion casts a spell over an innocent young boy in this thought-provoking psychological drama.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 54 minute complete film. Incidentally, I found this film because Amazon suggests films that match films you have already watched, such as  “Dark River” which I discussed in my last review.

For most of this film I felt like a spectator in a “happening” of no particular importance.  Make no mistake, I found the details and characters fascinating. But always the question presented itself: But where is this all going?  Be prepared for a stunning and infuriating conclusion, as in “WOW!”

Venerable and famous British actor Michael Gambon plays perfectly a wealthy, brooding, lonely Elliot Graham. He hires young Joe Dix (played by Danny Lee Wynter) to be the doorman at one of Elliot’s perfectly maintained but uninhabited London residences. To my mind, the character Joe Dix is central to the story and steals the show. He presents a taciturn, uneducated, but principled young man whose mother found him this position. He speaks with a clipped lower class accent.

As a side character Rupert Penry-Jones plays the married womanizer Richard Reece having one of his many affairs with the also married Charlotte played by the beautiful Kelly Reilly.  As a side benefit to their subplot you can watch two “beautiful people” having quite a bit of sex.

DO NOT MISS!

 

 

 

2018, Amazon Prime, Basically Sad, British, Brother-Sister relations, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Dark, Dog episode, Emotional child abuse, Farm Life, Incest, Sheep Farmers, Tragedy, Violent

Dark River (2018)

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From Amazon Prime:

Following the death of her father, Alice (Ruth Wilson, “The Affair”) returns to her home village for the first time in 15 years to claim from her estranged brother (Mark Stanley, “Game of Thrones”) the family farm she believes is rightfully hers. From acclaimed filmmaker Clio Barnard, one of the premier new voices in British cinema, “Dark River” is a taut and powerful psychological drama.

From Amazon Prime you can stream this 1 hour 29 minute complete film.

In the TV series Luther the British actress Ruth Wilson played the diabolically clever villain Alice Morgan.  However, in “Dark River” as the daughter Alice Bell she takes on a diametrically opposite character which lets her show another side of her considerable acting ability.

Just as credible acting job is performed by Mark Stanley as Alice’s brother Joe Bell.  Joe and Alice are in conflict for the entire story.

However the most important and motivating theme is the reason why Alice fled the farm years ago. You learn early in the film that her father Richard Bell (played by Sean Bean of “Game of Thrones”) serially sexually molested her. Upon her return to the farm she can hardly bring herself to step into the house, let alone go upstairs where the abuse occurred.

Make no mistake, this story is a tragedy which means that you should not expect a happy ending.

But it is a really well done film.