Reviews Written By: A2BDZAU0Y4J6NBprovided by Amazon.com |
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 | Dubliners (Twentieth-Century Classics) | |
 | ""Dubliners," Penguin Classics Edition, Intro by Terence Brown" | 2009-10-26 |
| Since Amazon seems to have lumped reviews of sundry editions under one category, I have specified the exact edition on which I am commenting instead of a proper title for my review.
It would be presumptuous of me to comment upon Joyce's prose, which in "Dubliners"--in my reader's opinion--seems flawless. I can only tell you the reasons why I adore this book. Joyce views his residents of Dublin--of various ages and social classes--through a melancholy lens, albeit tinged with grace and humor. Of all the stories, my favorite is "Araby," which recaptures the expectations, frustrations, and delusions of adolescence. The stories seem intended to be read in order from beginning to end. Indeed, each story is linked to the next by recurrent vocabulary and imagery--for instance, conceptual images of light and dark, vision & blindness, paralysis, and death--among others--to be understood both literally and figuratively. All these images have been interwoven so carefully that unless one is looking for them, they will be noticed only subliminally; they nevertheless contribute to the feeling of satisfaction after Joyce brings them together in his final heartbreaking paragraph, which will linger in one's thoughts long after one has closed the book. I especially appreciate the editor's notes in this edition, which clarify a range of topics, including Dublin topography, vocabulary and slang that has gone out of usage, obsolete social and political matters. This Penguin Edition is therefore excellent for students as well as for the serious reader. | ||
 | Dubliners (Dover Thrift Editions) | |
| ""Dubliners," Penguin Classics Edition, Intro by Terence Brown" | 2009-10-26 |
| Since Amazon seems to have lumped reviews of sundry editions under one category, I have specified the exact edition on which I am commenting instead of a proper title for my review.
It would be presumptuous of me to comment upon Joyce's prose, which in "Dubliners"--in my reader's opinion--seems flawless. I can only tell you the reasons why I adore this book. Joyce views his residents of Dublin--of various ages and social classes--through a melancholy lens, albeit tinged with grace and humor. Of all the stories, my favorite is "Araby," which recaptures the expectations, frustrations, and delusions of adolescence. The stories seem intended to be read in order from beginning to end. Indeed, each story is linked to the next by recurrent vocabulary and imagery--for instance, conceptual images of light and dark, vision & blindness, paralysis, and death--among others--to be understood both literally and figuratively. All these images have been interwoven so carefully that unless one is looking for them, they will be noticed only subliminally; they nevertheless contribute to the feeling of satisfaction after Joyce brings them together in his final heartbreaking paragraph, which will linger in one's thoughts long after one has closed the book. I especially appreciate the editor's notes in this edition, which clarify a range of topics, including Dublin topography, vocabulary and slang that has gone out of usage, obsolete social and political matters. This Penguin Edition is therefore excellent for students as well as for the serious reader. | ||
 | Kiss Me Kate | |
 | "Wonderful Show; Does Not Translate Well to DVD." | 2009-09-17 |
| It is difficult to rate this DVD, because the play is solid--full of one-line zingers and genuine laughs; the music is top-drawer Porter; the acting, singing, dancing are splendid; the costumes and settings are gorgeous, and the film is well-worth watching. Something about it doesn't quite work, however, on DVD.
I was lucky enough as a kid to see this film in 3D. "Kiss Me, Kate" literally jumped off the giant screen; it was truly spectacular--especially the dance numbers, which were staged upon a modernist forced-perspective De Chirico-like set, with Bob Fosse and Carole Haney, who went on to "Pajama Game" in 1954, leaping and twirling their way to fame. Also memorable were Katherine Grayson's "I hate men!" and Howard Keel's "I come to wive it wealthily in Padua!" And Keenan Wynn and James Whitmore, the stage-struck hoods, stole the show as they brushed up their Shakespeare and hoofed their way off stage and out of the lives of the characters whom, through a set of mistaken circumstances, they had come to apply their brass knuckles. Like Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew," which is a play within a play, "Kiss Me Kate" is played onstage before a large "audience." When one saw the film on a large screen in 3-D, one overlooked details, such as the utter lack of reaction by the on-screen audience. Without the excitement of a real audience reacting at the special effects, the play becomes static, and one notices the silence where laughs from the on-screen "audience" would be natural. The extras are interesting, with comments about the production by Ann Miller, Katherine Grayson, and Howard Keel. They also give you a glimpse of some of the 3D effects (allowing you to fill in the blanks with your imagination. There is also a rather tedious Fitzpatrick travelogue on Manhatten, which is nevertheless of historical interest since it was shot in grainy color before the UN was built in New York City. With all its faults, including the grainy color transfer, "Kiss Me Kate" should be in your library, as it demonstrates the excellence to which the old Hollywood musicals could strive, and will likely never achieve again. | ||
 | Augustine of Hippo: A Biography, Revised Edition with a New Epilogue | |
| "Augustine the Most Human of Humanists" | 2009-09-09 |
| It is extremely easy to view a Saint in one-dimensional terms of goodness. Peter Brown has penned a multi-faceted portrayal of the human being behind the saintliness. In a biography in which scholarliness does not impede readability, Brown conducts his readers on a fascinating journey from 4th/5th-century Roman Africa, to Rome, Milan, and back full circle to Roman Africa. In the process of the journey, he brings his insight to the life of an admittedly less-than-perfect man, his less-than-perfect family, and the turmoil and ferment of a multi-cultural society rent by riots, the strife of heresy, the depredations of imperial taxmen, strong-arm landlords, religious fanatics, and "barbarians."
The See of Hippo Regius represented an oasis in Augustine's troubled world. As Bishop, he intervened with the landlords, he interceded on behalf of prisoners, he gave succor to his small community; he gave alms to the poor. Augustine, according to Brown, prized humanitas, and it is appropriate that the publishers have chosen Carpaccio's very human portrayal of Augustine--his face uplifted in expectation to the light--for the cover of this splendid book. I especially enjoyed reading Professor Brown's analysis of the "Confessions," which he envisions as a truly revolutionary work among what was once a plethora of conversion tales, which, Brown explains, usually dwelt on the experience after the conversion, burying the pagan past forever. Augustine, as one infers from reading his autobiography, is haunted by his past; he cannot let it go; and, according to Brown, the "Confessions" works as sort of a therapy; an antidote to the guilty pleasures of Cicero and Vergil, even though Augustine cannot help incorporating echos of Plotinus and Neo-Platonic thought. "Augustine of Hippo" makes a perfect companion piece to Augustine's "Confessions. Indeed, Peter Brown's biography ought to be required reading for students of the late Roman Empire. | ||
 | Borromini | |
| "An Enlightening Introduction to Borromini's Rome" | 2009-09-09 |
| When I was living in Rome, I became aware of Borromini in a general way, through such delights as the "long" Colonnade at the Palazzo Spada, and the corkscrew exterior of the lantern tower of Sant' Ivo, but as many times as I gazed out of my bedroom window at the cupola of Sant' Andrea della Valle, I never noticed the "pairs of Ionic columns [that] share a common capital" [24], or the "cherub's heads" that are a variation on the "eggs of the egg-and-tongue motif" on the cornice of Sant' Ivo [19]. In other words, I had no idea what to look for.
In this engaging book, Anthony Blunt not only brings such fascinating details to light, but he also explains the complex theory of what he observes to be Borromini's revolutionary take on ancient architecture in terms that are comprehensible to the reader who is not an expert in art history. The only drawback to the book, which, one would think that Harvard University Press would remedy since the book is in its fifth printing, is the quality of the black-and-white photographs, which are liberally dispersed throughout the book. Although not an issue as far as the illustration of architectural plans is concerned, some of the photographs are of poor quality [An example is that of Borromini's Colonnade at Palazzo Spada, which is so dingy that it obscures the incredible illusion of the forced perspective entirely. A shame, because with digital photographs, this readable work would make a splendid "coffee-table book."]. Reading this book makes me want to get on the next plane and fly back to Rome [any excuse!], where I shall certainly look at Borromini's architecture with new eyes. | ||
 | Augustine of Hippo | |
| "Augustine the Most Human of Humanists" | 2009-09-09 |
| It is extremely easy to view a Saint in one-dimensional terms of goodness. Peter Brown has penned a multi-faceted portrayal of the human being behind the saintliness. In a biography in which scholarliness does not impede readability, Brown conducts his readers on a fascinating journey from 4th/5th-century Roman Africa, to Rome, Milan, and back full circle to Roman Africa. In the process of the journey, he brings his insight to the life of an admittedly less-than-perfect man, his less-than-perfect family, and the turmoil and ferment of a multi-cultural society rent by riots, the strife of heresy, the depredations of imperial taxmen, strong-arm landlords, religious fanatics, and "barbarians."
The See of Hippo Regius represented an oasis in Augustine's troubled world. As Bishop, he intervened with the landlords, he interceded on behalf of prisoners, he gave succor to his small community; he gave alms to the poor. Augustine, according to Brown, prized humanitas, and it is appropriate that the publishers have chosen Carpaccio's very human portrayal of Augustine--his face uplifted in expectation to the light--for the cover of this splendid book. I especially enjoyed reading Professor Brown's analysis of the "Confessions," which he envisions as a truly revolutionary work among what was once a plethora of conversion tales, which, Brown explains, usually dwelt on the experience after the conversion, burying the pagan past forever. Augustine, as one infers from reading his autobiography, is haunted by his past; he cannot let it go; and, according to Brown, the "Confessions" works as sort of a therapy; an antidote to the guilty pleasures of Cicero and Vergil, even though Augustine cannot help incorporating echos of Plotinus and Neo-Platonic thought. "Augustine of Hippo" makes a perfect companion piece to Augustine's "Confessions. Indeed, Peter Brown's biography ought to be required reading for students of the late Roman Empire. | ||
 | Augustine of Hippo: A Biography | |
| "Augustine the Most Human of Humanists" | 2009-09-09 |
| It is extremely easy to view a Saint in one-dimensional terms of goodness. Peter Brown has penned a multi-faceted portrayal of the human being behind the saintliness. In a biography in which scholarliness does not impede readability, Brown conducts his readers on a fascinating journey from 4th/5th-century Roman Africa, to Rome, Milan, and back full circle to Roman Africa. In the process of the journey, he brings his insight to the life of an admittedly less-than-perfect man, his less-than-perfect family, and the turmoil and ferment of a multi-cultural society rent by riots, the strife of heresy, the depredations of imperial taxmen, strong-arm landlords, religious fanatics, and "barbarians."
The See of Hippo Regius represented an oasis in Augustine's troubled world. As Bishop, he intervened with the landlords, he interceded on behalf of prisoners, he gave succor to his small community; he gave alms to the poor. Augustine, according to Brown, prized humanitas, and it is appropriate that the publishers have chosen Carpaccio's very human portrayal of Augustine--his face uplifted in expectation to the light--for the cover of this splendid book. I especially enjoyed reading Professor Brown's analysis of the "Confessions," which he envisions as a truly revolutionary work among what was once a plethora of conversion tales, which, Brown explains, usually dwelt on the experience after the conversion, burying the pagan past forever. Augustine, as one infers from reading his autobiography, is haunted by his past; he cannot let it go; and, according to Brown, the "Confessions" works as sort of a therapy; an antidote to the guilty pleasures of Cicero and Vergil, even though Augustine cannot help incorporating echos of Plotinus and Neo-Platonic thought. "Augustine of Hippo" makes a perfect companion piece to Augustine's "Confessions. Indeed, Peter Brown's biography ought to be required reading for students of the late Roman Empire. | ||
 | I'm Not Scared | |
| "Magnificent Desolation" | 2009-09-04 |
| This Italian film rises above the conventional thriller on many levels. Foremost, its stunning cinematography thrusts the viewer into the midst of the desolate sun-scorched grain fields (farmed by absentee landlords) and the grinding poverty of the Mezzogiorno--the deep South of Italy (The film was shot in the province of Potenza). The eye of the camera not only sweeps over the immense golden landscape, sharply contrasted by vivid blue skies and gathering clouds on the horizon, but it also focuses on the minute components of that landscape: the blood-red poppies scattered among the wheat; shiny black ants scurrying over a rotted piece of wood; a cicada clinging to a spike of wheat. The insistent shrilling of the cicadas, in fact, becomes a pulse that contributes to the heightening suspense of this harrowing tale, which is told from the point of view of Michele, a ten-year old boy.
A kind-hearted innocent with a child's sense of the possibilities of magic and an innate sense of justice and the right thing to do, Michele is confronted by frightening realities that no ten-year old should ever have to experience--realities that force him to grow up during the course of the film. The director has cast a series of non-actor children who are totally natural and therefore believable in their roles. The harsh environment has left its imprint on each of them: the cocky young bully who leads the pack; the chubby girl who becomes the perpetual victim of their childish games; Michele, who reluctantly conforms to the unspoken rules of the game; Michele's little sister, whom he protects; and his best friend who ultimately betrays him, because of the ethic of loyalty to family at all times, no matter how horrific the circumstances. Each of these children with their "follow the leader"- "statue-maker" games, represents in miniature a forecast of a bleak future in an unrelenting environment. And then Michele's life is changed irrevocably by an apparition of a boy. As mutual terror grows to empathy, understanding, and finally a dreadful recognition, the story assumes a magical beauty that transforms a film, which, in less capable hands might have come across merely as an exciting melodrama, into almost allegorical significance. The film is crafted so well that the viewer experiences intense emotions that are not forced by directorial manipulation, but emerge naturally from the tightening of the strings of suspense as the tragedy moves to what seems will be its inevitable conclusion. The splendid musical score acts as a complement to the narrative and never overwhelms it. My only quibble is the translation of English title, "I'm not scared!", which perhaps misleads the prospective buyer and trivializes what emerges as a powerful story. "Io non ho paura!"--"I am not afraid!"-- scrawled on the wall of a dark cave under a dilapidated stone farmhouse in Calabria--are words of a child's defiance of fear; a whistling in the dark, as it were. The defiance seems to have been lost in the translation. But my quibble ought to be seen for what it is--a picky quibble that should not deter anyone from purchasing this DVD. The film will not disappoint. | ||
 | Shooting the Past | |
 | "The Power of Images" | 2009-06-26 |
| Sydney Poliakov's "Shooting the Past" has its mesmerizing moments, especially when the camera focuses on the black and white photos, which are truly remarkable, as are the stories that accompany them. Furthermore, the performances of the each of the actors are extremely moving. I especially liked the slightly cynical interpretation of Emilia Fox as Spig, the girl with the fire-red hair. Despite the excellent qualities of the film, I found that I had to make an effort to suspend my disbelief in order to accept the premise not only of the perversely eccentric Oswald and the extreme measures he takes to save the photo collection but also of fact that the practical and hard-headed American businessman would, in the end, succumb to Oswald's manipulations. And although the mystery behind the photos of the businessman's grandmother was intriguing, the solution seemed to be a bit too pat, especially since we know that photographs are highly open to interpretation. Another point that lurked at the back of my consciousness: All the characters had cell phones, and it seems to me that if two overbearing American businessmen suddenly arrived on the doorstep of my photo-archive of 10,000,000 photos, threatening to boot me out and to destroy all but the valuable photos (which are to be sold for a substantial profit), that I would be on the phone with my lawyer in order to obtain an injunction (or whatever one obtains in English Courts of Justice): A move that never once crosses the mind of Marilyn (beautifully acted by Lindsay Duncan). I nevertheless recommend the series with reservations. It held my attention, and I even found it poignant. Nevertheless, I do not recommend it for anyone who is feeling low about the economy, because it is a bit of a downer! Techincal detail: The featurette is interesting, and the BBC does provide subtitles for the hearing impaired. | ||
 | Shooting the Past | |
| "The Power of Images" | 2009-06-26 |
| Sydney Poliakov's "Shooting the Past" has its mesmerizing moments, especially when the camera focuses on the black and white photos, which are truly remarkable, as are the stories that accompany them. Furthermore, the performances of the each of the actors are extremely moving. I especially liked the slightly cynical interpretation of Emilia Fox as Spig, the girl with the fire-red hair. Despite the excellent qualities of the film, I found that I had to make an effort to suspend my disbelief in order to accept the premise not only of the perversely eccentric Oswald and the extreme measures he takes to save the photo collection but also of fact that the practical and hard-headed American businessman would, in the end, succumb to Oswald's manipulations. And although the mystery behind the photos of the businessman's grandmother was intriguing, the solution seemed to be a bit too pat, especially since we know that photographs are highly open to interpretation. Another point that lurked at the back of my consciousness: All the characters had cell phones, and it seems to me that if two overbearing American businessmen suddenly arrived on the doorstep of my photo-archive of 10,000,000 photos, threatening to boot me out and to destroy all but the valuable photos (which are to be sold for a substantial profit), that I would be on the phone with my lawyer in order to obtain an injunction (or whatever one obtains in English Courts of Justice): A move that never once crosses the mind of Marilyn (beautifully acted by Lindsay Duncan). I nevertheless recommend the series with reservations. It held my attention, and I even found it poignant. Nevertheless, I do not recommend it for anyone who is feeling low about the economy, because it is a bit of a downer! Techincal detail: The featurette is interesting, and the BBC does provide subtitles for the hearing impaired. | ||
 | Julian : A Novel (Vintage Interational) | |
| "Carefully Researched; A Compelling Narrative" | 2009-05-20 |
| Gore Vidal's "Julian" is one of those rare historical novels that is not only meticulously researched but also absorbing. The author has read his ancient sources, including the fourth-century historian, Ammianus Marcellinus and the writings of the Emperor Julian and his contemporaries, very carefully. "Julian", in fact, makes an excellent supplement to a university course on the Late Roman Empire. Mr. Vidal breathes life into the remote statues and the hieratic mosaics of the period; his descriptions of the rigid court etiquette in the age of Constantine are especially vivid. The author also takes us to the regions of the Empire--e.g., Antioch, Pergamon, Athens; Milan, Ravenna; Autun and Paris--that the city of Rome eclipses in most works focusing the Roman Empire from Augustus to Hadrian. Mr. Vidal's characterization of Julian, the last of Constantine's dynasty, is laced with charm and humor (His protagonist, who, in real life wrote a treatise satirizing his critics, entitled "The Hatred of Beards," continually alludes to his scraggly beard.). The novel, set between the years 331-363, reflects the fact that during the fourth century of our era, Christianity was by no means a "done deal," the Temple of Sarapis at Alexandria with its great medical school, for instance, being closed by Theodosius' decree only in 385. The book is especially valuable in that it clarifies the central issues of a divided empire, including the religious, philosophical, and military problems as well as those of the imperial succession. Readers who are not historically inclined, however, ought to understand that chapter one, which purports to be a correspondence between the Sophists Priscus and Libanius, is a preface that necessarily establishes the historical background. Once they have begun reading chapter two--the "Memoirs of Julian Augustus"--they will become swept up in a riveting narrative as well as a fascinating recreation of the turbulent late Roman Empire. | ||
 | Widows' Peak | |
| "A Peek through the Widow's Telescope" | 2009-05-06 |
| "Widow's Peak" is great fun and genuinely funny. Set in Ireland of the 1920s, it is also lovely to view. The costumes are scrumptious, and the ensemble cast is splendid.
Joan Plowright portrays the doyenne of the village of Kilshannon, who divides her time presiding over a clutch of resident widows and peering through her brass telescope to keep a watchful eye on the manners and morality of the village. Among those to whom she condescends is a rather frumpy Widow O'Hara (Mia Farrow) who, in addition to growing prize roses, has attracted the amorous attentions of the village dentist (Jim Broadbent). Suddenly, the village is turned upside down with the arrival of a glamorous widow, late of Antibes, (Miranda Richardson), who not only sets her cap for the doyenne's milk-sop son but is soon at loggerheads with the Widow O'hara. A clear case of throwing oil on troubled fires. What is their problem? Will it reveal dark secrets from the past? And even murder? I shall say no more, except buy this DVD, which has a pip of an ending! | ||
 | Flight of the Innocent | |
| "Shattering Beauty" | 2009-05-05 |
| "Flight of the Innocent" unfolds in the breathtaking beauty of the high Calabrian pastureland; the tinkling of sheep bells and the insistent rhythm of the cicadas shrilling in the oaks suggest high summer and convey a sense of timeless tranquility. A boy perched in a tree, drawing a bird with wings outspread, lets his imagination take flight over the lonely landscape. Suddenly a shotgun blasts. The pasture falls silent, and the boy's life is changed forever. "Flight of the Innocent" is as violent as it is beautiful; it is also suspenseful, as the boy flees northwards to Rome and finally to Viterbo in an attempt to escape the deadly legacy of his family. Italian filmmakers customarily use children who have never acted before, and they have not gone wrong in choosing Manuel Colao, who is totally believable in the role of young Vito (One wonders whether they have selected the character's name, Vito, as an homage to "The Godfather," that saga beginning with a similar flight of a young boy.). Underlying the story is the continuing tragedy of kidnappings for ransom (anonima sequestri) and organized crime (the interfamilial `Ndrangheta--the name deriving from the Greek, Andres Agathoi, or Good Fellows) that blights Italy's underprivileged deep south. One of the most frightening scenes in the film, in fact, occurs when, after the family tragedy, the boy flees to the nearby mountain town, whose streets are eerily deserted, and a very perbene--or proper--woman, peering at him through her lace curtains, slams the shutters of her windows closed. This scene, more than any other, thrusts us, the viewers, into the mind and body of the young protagonist, and we remain with him to the end of his desperate journey. | ||
 | The Flight of the Innocent | |
| "Shattering Beauty" | 2009-05-05 |
| "Flight of the Innocent" unfolds in the breathtaking beauty of the high Calabrian pastureland; the tinkling of sheep bells and the insistent rhythm of the cicadas shrilling in the oaks suggest high summer and convey a sense of timeless tranquility. A boy perched in a tree, drawing a bird with wings outspread, lets his imagination take flight over the lonely landscape. Suddenly a shotgun blasts. The pasture falls silent, and the boy's life is changed forever. "Flight of the Innocent" is as violent as it is beautiful; it is also suspenseful, as the boy flees northwards to Rome and finally to Viterbo in an attempt to escape the deadly legacy of his family. Italian filmmakers customarily use children who have never acted before, and they have not gone wrong in choosing Manuel Colao, who is totally believable in the role of young Vito (One wonders whether they have selected the character's name, Vito, as an homage to "The Godfather," that saga beginning with a similar flight of a young boy.). Underlying the story is the continuing tragedy of kidnappings for ransom (anonima sequestri) and organized crime (the interfamilial `Ndrangheta--the name deriving from the Greek, Andres Agathoi, or Good Fellows) that blights Italy's underprivileged deep south. One of the most frightening scenes in the film, in fact, occurs when, after the family tragedy, the boy flees to the nearby mountain town, whose streets are eerily deserted, and a very perbene--or proper--woman, peering at him through her lace curtains, slams the shutters of her windows closed. This scene, more than any other, thrusts us, the viewers, into the mind and body of the young protagonist, and we remain with him to the end of his desperate journey. | ||
 | Mapp & Lucia Series 1 | |
| "Un Po' di Musica!" | 2009-04-26 |
| About once every year, when the latest world fiasco, financial or otherwise, sets my teeth gnashing, I pop "Mapp & Lucia" into my DVD player and escape to the social whirl of Tilling-On-Sea of the 1930s. There can be no better restorative than the delicious rivalry between the oh-so-elegant Emmiline Lucas, aka Lucia (Geraldine McEwan), and the oh-so-proper Elizabeth Mapp (Prunella Scales). Aiding and abetting Lucia's schemes for village supremacy is the oh-so-fussy Georgie Pilson (Nigel Hawthorn), who engages in various activities with her--all of them innocuous--including painting, pretending to speak Italian, and playing duets on their musical evenings (nicknamed in their precious "Italian" manner, "Po di Mues"). As the saccharine smiles of the female protagonists send the fur flying, the laughs keep coming in this high comedy of manners. The cloche hats and embroidered silk dresses make for splendid viewing, as do the seamless performances of McEwan, Scales, and Hawthorne. The other Tilling eccentrics include a tippling Major Benjie (late of the Raj), the misnamed Diva (who has no pretensions to being queen of the village), the pipe-smoking artist Quaint Irene, the monocled Colonel Wise and his wife (Marion Mathie--otherwise Hilda Rumpole), and a priest from Manchester who, for reasons unknown, speaks with a Scottish accent. Tilling-on-Sea is really the Sussex town of Rye--a cobble-stoned village rising out of the Romney Marsh. With its Mermaid Tavern (rebuilt in 1425), Rye is so charming that I once stayed a week, enjoying merely `being there'. "Mapp and Lucia" allows me to revisit Rye and the Romney Marsh, to forget the turbulent present, and to lose myself in several hours of sheer delight. | ||
 | Mapp & Lucia, Set 1 | |
| "Un Po' di Musica!" | 2009-04-26 |
| About once every year, when the latest world fiasco, financial or otherwise, sets my teeth gnashing, I pop "Mapp & Lucia" into my DVD player and escape to the social whirl of Tilling-On-Sea of the 1930s. There can be no better restorative than the delicious rivalry between the oh-so-elegant Emmiline Lucas, aka Lucia (Geraldine McEwan), and the oh-so-proper Elizabeth Mapp (Prunella Scales). Aiding and abetting Lucia's schemes for village supremacy is the oh-so-fussy Georgie Pilson (Nigel Hawthorn), who engages in various activities with her--all of them innocuous--including painting, pretending to speak Italian, and playing duets on their musical evenings (nicknamed in their precious "Italian" manner, "Po di Mues"). As the saccharine smiles of the female protagonists send the fur flying, the laughs keep coming in this high comedy of manners. The cloche hats and embroidered silk dresses make for splendid viewing, as do the seamless performances of McEwan, Scales, and Hawthorne. The other Tilling eccentrics include a tippling Major Benjie (late of the Raj), the misnamed Diva (who has no pretensions to being queen of the village), the pipe-smoking artist Quaint Irene, the monocled Colonel Wise and his wife (Marion Mathie--otherwise Hilda Rumpole), and a priest from Manchester who, for reasons unknown, speaks with a Scottish accent. Tilling-on-Sea is really the Sussex town of Rye--a cobble-stoned village rising out of the Romney Marsh. With its Mermaid Tavern (rebuilt in 1425), Rye is so charming that I once stayed a week, enjoying merely `being there'. "Mapp and Lucia" allows me to revisit Rye and the Romney Marsh, to forget the turbulent present, and to lose myself in several hours of sheer delight. | ||
 | Lawrence of Arabia (Superbit Collection) | |
| "What is there left to say after 398 reviews?" | 2009-04-14 |
| I went to my son's house for Easter and instead of sitting down to watch the latest action flick (His great joke is treating me to films that I would never watch on my own.), it was with great pleasure that I discovered that the evening's entertainment was "Lawrence of Arabia." As he set up the DVD, he said, "Don't you remember, you took us to see it when we were kids." I had forgotten. Doing the math, I calculated that he was seven years old at the time and his sister was eight; and that the film, viewed in all its lengthy magnificence on the large screen had left a lasting impression on him. When I got home, I pulled out my own two-disc set of the Limited Edition, noting the incredibly clear transfer that looks like HD when played on my computer. I then watched the extras. Whereas so many "the making of" documentaries nowadays are self-serving and otherwise forgettable, the Interview with David Lean, Omar Sherif, and the behind-the-scenes crew is truly enlightening, as are the comments of Steven Spielberg. Having seen the film several times since 1963, and realizing that my young adult self did not understand the full implications of the story, which I have since come to appreciate, I can well imagine that it was David Lean's sweeping panoramas, Maurice Jarre's haunting musical score that evokes the emptiness of the desert, and the spectacle of the camels, Arabian horses, & British military bands that imprinted "Lawrence of Arabia" into my son's childhood memories. Now, of course, I appreciate the subtleties of Peter O'Toole's nuanced performance of the troubled protagonist (and I am still cross about Hollywood's failure to recognize him in any other way than a "Lifetime Achievement Award"--Oscar's [Registered] booby prize). In perusing the several hundred reviews on this website, I have noted proper accolades for the performances of Omar Sharif, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, and Claude Raines (always brilliant), but I noticed a failure to mention Anthony Quayle, whose performance as the officer who moves from stiff-upper-lipped-Empire-right-or-wrong--at first resenting Lawrence whom he clearly considers an eccentric loose cannon--to anguished disgust at the political manipulations of Allenby (Hawkins) and Dryden (Raines), and even Faisal (Guinness), who shamelessly discard Lawrence as an embarrassment after they have not only used him but also used him up to achieve their political ends. Quayle's sterling performance complements and completes this phenomenal ensemble cast. | ||
 | Lawrence of Arabia | |
| "What is there left to say after 398 reviews?" | 2009-04-14 |
| I went to my son's house for Easter and instead of sitting down to watch the latest action flick (His great joke is treating me to films that I would never watch on my own.), it was with great pleasure that I discovered that the evening's entertainment was "Lawrence of Arabia." As he set up the DVD, he said, "Don't you remember, you took us to see it when we were kids." I had forgotten. Doing the math, I calculated that he was seven years old at the time and his sister was eight; and that the film, viewed in all its lengthy magnificence on the large screen had left a lasting impression on him. When I got home, I pulled out my own two-disc set of the Limited Edition, noting the incredibly clear transfer that looks like HD when played on my computer. I then watched the extras. Whereas so many "the making of" documentaries nowadays are self-serving and otherwise forgettable, the Interview with David Lean, Omar Sherif, and the behind-the-scenes crew is truly enlightening, as are the comments of Steven Spielberg. Having seen the film several times since 1963, and realizing that my young adult self did not understand the full implications of the story, which I have since come to appreciate, I can well imagine that it was David Lean's sweeping panoramas, Maurice Jarre's haunting musical score that evokes the emptiness of the desert, and the spectacle of the camels, Arabian horses, & British military bands that imprinted "Lawrence of Arabia" into my son's childhood memories. Now, of course, I appreciate the subtleties of Peter O'Toole's nuanced performance of the troubled protagonist (and I am still cross about Hollywood's failure to recognize him in any other way than a "Lifetime Achievement Award"--Oscar's [Registered] booby prize). In perusing the several hundred reviews on this website, I have noted proper accolades for the performances of Omar Sharif, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, and Claude Raines (always brilliant), but I noticed a failure to mention Anthony Quayle, whose performance as the officer who moves from stiff-upper-lipped-Empire-right-or-wrong--at first resenting Lawrence whom he clearly considers an eccentric loose cannon--to anguished disgust at the political manipulations of Allenby (Hawkins) and Dryden (Raines), and even Faisal (Guinness), who shamelessly discard Lawrence as an embarrassment after they have not only used him but also used him up to achieve their political ends. Quayle's sterling performance complements and completes this phenomenal ensemble cast. | ||
 | Lawrence of Arabia | |
| "What is there left to say after 398 reviews?" | 2009-04-14 |
| I went to my son's house for Easter and instead of sitting down to watch the latest action flick (His great joke is treating me to films that I would never watch on my own.), it was with great pleasure that I discovered that the evening's entertainment was "Lawrence of Arabia." As he set up the DVD, he said, "Don't you remember, you took us to see it when we were kids." I had forgotten. Doing the math, I calculated that he was seven years old at the time and his sister was eight; and that the film, viewed in all its lengthy magnificence on the large screen had left a lasting impression on him. When I got home, I pulled out my own two-disc set of the Limited Edition, noting the incredibly clear transfer that looks like HD when played on my computer. I then watched the extras. Whereas so many "the making of" documentaries nowadays are self-serving and otherwise forgettable, the Interview with David Lean, Omar Sherif, and the behind-the-scenes crew is truly enlightening, as are the comments of Steven Spielberg. Having seen the film several times since 1963, and realizing that my young adult self did not understand the full implications of the story, which I have since come to appreciate, I can well imagine that it was David Lean's sweeping panoramas, Maurice Jarre's haunting musical score that evokes the emptiness of the desert, and the spectacle of the camels, Arabian horses, & British military bands that imprinted "Lawrence of Arabia" into my son's childhood memories. Now, of course, I appreciate the subtleties of Peter O'Toole's nuanced performance of the troubled protagonist (and I am still cross about Hollywood's failure to recognize him in any other way than a "Lifetime Achievement Award"--Oscar's [Registered] booby prize). In perusing the several hundred reviews on this website, I have noted proper accolades for the performances of Omar Sharif, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, and Claude Raines (always brilliant), but I noticed a failure to mention Anthony Quayle, whose performance as the officer who moves from stiff-upper-lipped-Empire-right-or-wrong--at first resenting Lawrence whom he clearly considers an eccentric loose cannon--to anguished disgust at the political manipulations of Allenby (Hawkins) and Dryden (Raines), and even Faisal (Guinness), who shamelessly discard Lawrence as an embarrassment after they have not only used him but also used him up to achieve their political ends. Quayle's sterling performance complements and completes this phenomenal ensemble cast. | ||
 | Lawrence of Arabia (Single Disc Edition) | |
| "What is there left to say after 398 reviews?" | 2009-04-14 |
| I went to my son's house for Easter and instead of sitting down to watch the latest action flick (His great joke is treating me to films that I would never watch on my own.), it was with great pleasure that I discovered that the evening's entertainment was "Lawrence of Arabia." As he set up the DVD, he said, "Don't you remember, you took us to see it when we were kids." I had forgotten. Doing the math, I calculated that he was seven years old at the time and his sister was eight; and that the film, viewed in all its lengthy magnificence on the large screen had left a lasting impression on him. When I got home, I pulled out my own two-disc set of the Limited Edition, noting the incredibly clear transfer that looks like HD when played on my computer. I then watched the extras. Whereas so many "the making of" documentaries nowadays are self-serving and otherwise forgettable, the Interview with David Lean, Omar Sherif, and the behind-the-scenes crew is truly enlightening, as are the comments of Steven Spielberg. Having seen the film several times since 1963, and realizing that my young adult self did not understand the full implications of the story, which I have since come to appreciate, I can well imagine that it was David Lean's sweeping panoramas, Maurice Jarre's haunting musical score that evokes the emptiness of the desert, and the spectacle of the camels, Arabian horses, & British military bands that imprinted "Lawrence of Arabia" into my son's childhood memories. Now, of course, I appreciate the subtleties of Peter O'Toole's nuanced performance of the troubled protagonist (and I am still cross about Hollywood's failure to recognize him in any other way than a "Lifetime Achievement Award"--Oscar's [Registered] booby prize). In perusing the several hundred reviews on this website, I have noted proper accolades for the performances of Omar Sharif, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, and Claude Raines (always brilliant), but I noticed a failure to mention Anthony Quayle, whose performance as the officer who moves from stiff-upper-lipped-Empire-right-or-wrong--at first resenting Lawrence whom he clearly considers an eccentric loose cannon--to anguished disgust at the political manipulations of Allenby (Hawkins) and Dryden (Raines), and even Faisal (Guinness), who shamelessly discard Lawrence as an embarrassment after they have not only used him but also used him up to achieve their political ends. Quayle's sterling performance complements and completes this phenomenal ensemble cast. | ||
 | Lawrence of Arabia | |
| "What is there left to say after 398 reviews?" | 2009-04-14 |
| I went to my son's house for Easter and instead of sitting down to watch the latest action flick (His great joke is treating me to films that I would never watch on my own.), it was with great pleasure that I discovered that the evening's entertainment was "Lawrence of Arabia." As he set up the DVD, he said, "Don't you remember, you took us to see it when we were kids." I had forgotten. Doing the math, I calculated that he was seven years old at the time and his sister was eight; and that the film, viewed in all its lengthy magnificence on the large screen had left a lasting impression on him. When I got home, I pulled out my own two-disc set of the Limited Edition, noting the incredibly clear transfer that looks like HD when played on my computer. I then watched the extras. Whereas so many "the making of" documentaries nowadays are self-serving and otherwise forgettable, the Interview with David Lean, Omar Sherif, and the behind-the-scenes crew is truly enlightening, as are the comments of Steven Spielberg. Having seen the film several times since 1963, and realizing that my young adult self did not understand the full implications of the story, which I have since come to appreciate, I can well imagine that it was David Lean's sweeping panoramas, Maurice Jarre's haunting musical score that evokes the emptiness of the desert, and the spectacle of the camels, Arabian horses, & British military bands that imprinted "Lawrence of Arabia" into my son's childhood memories. Now, of course, I appreciate the subtleties of Peter O'Toole's nuanced performance of the troubled protagonist (and I am still cross about Hollywood's failure to recognize him in any other way than a "Lifetime Achievement Award"--Oscar's [Registered] booby prize). In perusing the several hundred reviews on this website, I have noted proper accolades for the performances of Omar Sharif, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, and Claude Raines (always brilliant), but I noticed a failure to mention Anthony Quayle, whose performance as the officer who moves from stiff-upper-lipped-Empire-right-or-wrong--at first resenting Lawrence whom he clearly considers an eccentric loose cannon--to anguished disgust at the political manipulations of Allenby (Hawkins) and Dryden (Raines), and even Faisal (Guinness), who shamelessly discard Lawrence as an embarrassment after they have not only used him but also used him up to achieve their political ends. Quayle's sterling performance complements and completes this phenomenal ensemble cast. | ||
 | Lawrence of Arabia | |
| "What is there left to say after 398 reviews?" | 2009-04-14 |
| I went to my son's house for Easter and instead of sitting down to watch the latest action flick (His great joke is treating me to films that I would never watch on my own.), it was with great pleasure that I discovered that the evening's entertainment was "Lawrence of Arabia." As he set up the DVD, he said, "Don't you remember, you took us to see it when we were kids." I had forgotten. Doing the math, I calculated that he was seven years old at the time and his sister was eight; and that the film, viewed in all its lengthy magnificence on the large screen had left a lasting impression on him. When I got home, I pulled out my own two-disc set of the Limited Edition, noting the incredibly clear transfer that looks like HD when played on my computer. I then watched the extras. Whereas so many "the making of" documentaries nowadays are self-serving and otherwise forgettable, the Interview with David Lean, Omar Sherif, and the behind-the-scenes crew is truly enlightening, as are the comments of Steven Spielberg. Having seen the film several times since 1963, and realizing that my young adult self did not understand the full implications of the story, which I have since come to appreciate, I can well imagine that it was David Lean's sweeping panoramas, Maurice Jarre's haunting musical score that evokes the emptiness of the desert, and the spectacle of the camels, Arabian horses, & British military bands that imprinted "Lawrence of Arabia" into my son's childhood memories. Now, of course, I appreciate the subtleties of Peter O'Toole's nuanced performance of the troubled protagonist (and I am still cross about Hollywood's failure to recognize him in any other way than a "Lifetime Achievement Award"--Oscar's [Registered] booby prize). In perusing the several hundred reviews on this website, I have noted proper accolades for the performances of Omar Sharif, Jack Hawkins, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, and Claude Raines (always brilliant), but I noticed a failure to mention Anthony Quayle, whose performance as the officer who moves from stiff-upper-lipped-Empire-right-or-wrong--at first resenting Lawrence whom he clearly considers an eccentric loose cannon--to anguished disgust at the political manipulations of Allenby (Hawkins) and Dryden (Raines), and even Faisal (Guinness), who shamelessly discard Lawrence as an embarrassment after they have not only used him but also used him up to achieve their political ends. Quayle's sterling performance complements and completes this phenomenal ensemble cast. | ||
 | David Copperfield | |
| "Donkeys!!!" | 2009-03-23 |
| There are many reasons to watch this excellent film: it contains mystery, melodrama, romance, scrumptious costumes, and a splendid cast of the finest actors, including Bob Hoskins, as the debt-ridden Mr. Macawber--always waiting optimistically for something to "turn up"; and his wife, "faithful to the end," played with to the hilt by Imelda Staunton; and, of course, the young Daniel Radcliffe in his pre-Harry Potter days, who portrays the title role with the ease of a natural actor; he is totally believable. Of the many reasons to purchase this excellent DVD, however, the most compelling is the privilege of watching Dame Maggie Smith reveling in the role of Aunt Betsy. Whether she is banishing donkeys from her green sward or falling backwards into her herbaceous border upon being accosted by her unknown ragamuffin nephew, Dame Maggie is magnificent to behold. The highlight for me was her sending the ghastly Murdstones packing with a flea in their ears; a feat she reprises after the unmasking of the opprobrious Uriah Heap. Smith is so perfect one would think that Dickens had created the role especially for her. My only criticism concerns the dashing Steerforth, whose character, undoubtedly because of considerations of length, was given short shrift. The film did not develop the friendship that grows between David and Steerforth in school, which explains the utter trust in which David holds his friend when they grow up, and also exposes the utter betrayal of that friendship. With its theme of embezzlement, the film proves to be especially timely in respect to today's money catastrophe; one wishes that its solution to the crisis--transportation for life--was still available for the financial miscreants; but then I suppose that Australia would refuse to take them! "David Copperfield" is riveting from beginning to end; and the end is guaranteed to engender mixed feelings--happiness that it ends on such an upbeat, and sorrow that it has to end at all. One almost longs for a spinoff sequel that follows the fate of the Macawbers in Australia. At any rate, purchase "David Copperfield"; it's a keeper. And then you too will delight in the donkeys and in Dame Maggie Smith! | ||
| School for Scoundrels | |
| "The Game of Laughsmanship; Four-and-a-half stars." | 2009-02-17 |
| At the hands of anyone other than this cast of stellar actors, "School for Scoundrels" would constitute lightweight fare, perhaps worthy of an amusing television sitcom. With players of the calibre of Alistair Sim, Ian Carmichael, Terry-Thomas, and Dennis Price, however, the film still sparkles with laughter, as so many of the British comedies of the Fifties and Sixties did. Alistair Sim chews the scenery with his usual panache, and delights in the process. Ian Carmichael is charming as the milquetoast twit who learns "lifesmanship" from Sim and emerges victorious over the caddish Terry-Thomas in pursuit of the girl, played with charm by Janette Thomas; and Dennis Price, undertaking a more supporting role than usual, brings his smooth brand of snake-oil to one half of the Winsome Welshmen--a pair of unscrupulous London used-car salesmen; they foist a white elephant of an automobile on Carmichael, whose revenge on them, with Sim's aid, is delightful to behold. The film is provided only with Spanish subtitles, which might make it difficult for the English-speaking hearing-impaired, but the sound is clear, and the actors' diction is impeccable (although I didn't understand Terry-Thomas's "Hard Cheese!"--bellowed on the tennis court on the first go). I was afraid that the comedy might have lost some of its sparkle in the ensuing years, but it has not. It is full of good fun and laughter. | ||
 | The Winslow Boy | |
| "What a Delightful Surprise!" | 2009-02-16 |
| It took me several years to get around to purchasing "The Winslow Boy". Although I was certain that I would like it--after all, Nigel Hawthorne was in it--I had no idea that I was in for an hour-and-a-half of such absorbing drama. In one of his last roles, Hawthorne brings a poignant combination of strength and tenderness to the role of the patriarch, whose determination to "let right be done" almost breaks apart the family that he is trying to preserve. His scenes with Gemma Jones--torn apart by her conflicting roles as loyal wife and loving mother--are especially moving. Because of the ensemble acting of the entire cast, the family dynamic is entirely believable. The real surprise for me, however, was Jeremy Northam in the role of Sir Robert Morton, KC, MP. Although Northam's performances in films such as "Gosford Park" and "Enigma" have been enjoyable, his portrayal of the aristocratic barrister quietly sizzled with sensual undertones that would do a handsome brooding Jane Austen hero proud. I found myself waiting for him to come onstage, as it were; and wishing that I could hear his moving summation to the jury; and that I might be allowed to follow Sir Robert's romantic pursuit of Miss Winslow. The last lines of the film are simply tantalizing. Much of this "wanting more of Morton" derives not only from Northam's portrayal, but also from playwright Terrance Rattigan's technique of having the action take place offstage. The technique, which dates back to Greek tragedy, contributes to the dramatic tension of "The Winslow Boy." The very device of having characters relate the events taking place elsewhere, however, will likely render the drama inaccessible to some viewers, who demand fast-paced visual action. But for those who savor a riveting drama of quality, "The Winslow Boy" will not disappoint. | ||
 | Nikon Coolpix P80 10.1MP Digital Camera with 18x Wide Angle Optical Vibration Reduction Zoom (Black) | |
| "Just the Thing for documenting a Quick Trip!" | 2008-11-05 |
| I like this camera! I just returned from a three-week trip to Italy, Holland, and London, and I found my Nikon P80 to be easy to manage, after several readings of the manual. Not too small, the P80 fits comfortably into my hands and does not wobble as the smaller cameras tend to do. Although I do miss taking splendid photos with my 1974 Rollei SLR with the three lenses and polarizer, I do not miss the weight, the limitations of rolls of film, and the encumbrances of all the accompanying paraphernalia. I especially like the P80 because it is inconspicuous, and one can get candid shots of street life without being intrusive. The easily managed diopter allowed me to use the viewfinder without my glasses. The monitor made it easy to view photos quickly; and the battery charger worked splendidly (I took two Nikon batteries, and charged one every night.). I was also pleasantly surprised at the macro feature which allowed me to copy family photos from my brother-in-law's album, which were taken in the 1940s and '50s. As other reviewers have suggested, reading the manual is indispensable, but one ought not to be tied to it. For instance, I discovered that in the northern latitudes with their bright autumn light, so beloved by the Dutch painters, the "sunset" setting worked better than the automatic, or even the plain "landscape" settings (I didn't care much for the automatic setting which tended to over-expose the pictures). I also experimented using the shutter and aperture priorities; took night pictures that were eventually successful, and discovered the video option, getting some fantastic shots of the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace (As I discovered when I downloaded the photos onto my computer--a painless process--the sound of the guards' commands and their marching feet, as well as the clip-clop of the horses' hooves, comes through loud and clear. Unfortunately, so does the yak-yak of the surrounding tourists!). Not knowing how much memory I would be using, I took two 4G memory cards and shot 1800 pictures and 31 short videos, which improved remarkably during the second week, as I was getting used to the intricacies of the camera (and was recovering from jet-lag). As a result, I have a thorough documentation of my trip, which I wouldn't have gotten with a cumbersome SLR. Although for the next trip, which I shall take by myself and take my time, I might invest in a real DSLR (with a polarizing lens), the Nikon P80 was perfect for what proved to be whirlwind tour of Europe. And any lapses in color or light and shadow, I'll compensate for for with my Adobe CS3. | ||
 | Runaway Jury (Widescreen Edition) | |
| "Runaway Performances" | 2008-09-22 |
| I have no idea whether juries in the real world can be corrupted as this jury in the reel world is, but "Runaway Jury" is a riveting thriller that ought to capture the interest of the viewer from beginning to end, whether one buys into all the plot points or not. br /br /Its success as a genre-film derives from the superlative cast, which is headed by Dustin Hoffman in the role of the honest but savvily down-to-earth attorney (with shabby suit and a carefully planted mustard dab on his tie) who is suing the big gun companies on behalf of the wife of a victim of a mass murder; and Gene Hackman as the ruthless (and expensively dressed) jury consultant, who does not give a fig for the victims, but merely wants to win big on behalf of his even bigger clients, no matter how low he has to stoop to do it. Hoffman and Hackman are supported ably by John Cusack and Rachel Weisz, both of whose characters have hidden agendas. br /br /Although the film is worth watching for its suspense-factor alone, the performances of Hoffman and Hackman, who confront each other in the old-fashioned wood-paneled men's washroom of the court, lift "Runaway Jury" from the level of a conventional court-room thriller. This scene, which lasts several minutes, allows these two cinematic masters to pull out all the stops, as it were, of their craft. It is so rare nowadays to get a full-blown scene--more reminiscent of one in a stage play--between two actors of their calibre. br /br /The settings of pre-Katrina New Orleans--the French Quarter and the Garden District--also contribute to the film's ambience. br /br /Every once and a while, I sit down and watch the DVD of a film that I missed in the theatre the first time around. Many, I pass on to my friends; "Runaway Jury," I did not. | ||
 | The Tailor of Panama | |
| "Woven Out of Whole Cloth" | 2008-09-16 |
| I've watched and enjoyed "The Taylor of Panama" several times now. It seems to represent co-producer John Le Carré's homage to Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, and a spoof on the spy genre-film in general (It even includes a humorous pot-shot at "Casablanca.").
br /br /Geoffrey Rush turns in a moving performance as Harry Pendel, the tailor, whose fantasy life makes him all too vulnerable for the enticements and blackmail of the seedy would-be, but never-actually-was, James Bond--Andrew Osnard, a burnt-out MI-Sixer, banished to Panama as punishment for peccadilloes in foreign postings [Pierce Brosnan does an engaging satire on his cinematic Bond aplomb.]. Between the fantasies of Pendel (whose dead but not-so-silent partner is portrayed by Harold Pinter) the situation soon gets out of hand and almost ruins Pendel's marriage (His wife is played by Jamie Lee Curtis.); it destroys his loyal Panamanian friends, and almost starts a war. And while Osnard and most of his colleagues prove to be as corruptible as they are mendacious, the tailor finally comes clean with his wife and mends his marriage. br /br /Behind the satire is one of Le Carré's favorite topics, the willingness of Intelligence services to believe what they want (in this case the presence of a "silent opposition" to the local government), and, in the name of expediency, to spin the most tenuous threads into colorful yarns that they then weave into plausible fabrics and preposterous fabrications. Le Carré therefore seems to be suggesting that the various intelligence services with their vested interests are all accomplished tailors. | ||
![Tailor of Panama [Blu-ray]](product_images/4924000/4924841_thumb.jpg) | Tailor of Panama [Blu-ray] | |
| "Woven Out of Whole Cloth" | 2008-09-16 |
| I've watched and enjoyed "The Taylor of Panama" several times now. It seems to represent co-producer John Le Carré's homage to Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, and a spoof on the spy genre-film in general (It even includes a humorous pot-shot at "Casablanca.").
br /br /Geoffrey Rush turns in a moving performance as Harry Pendel, the tailor, whose fantasy life makes him all too vulnerable for the enticements and blackmail of the seedy would-be, but never-actually-was, James Bond--Andrew Osnard, a burnt-out MI-Sixer, banished to Panama as punishment for peccadilloes in foreign postings [Pierce Brosnan does an engaging satire on his cinematic Bond aplomb.]. Between the fantasies of Pendel (whose dead but not-so-silent partner is portrayed by Harold Pinter) the situation soon gets out of hand and almost ruins Pendel's marriage (His wife is played by Jamie Lee Curtis.); it destroys his loyal Panamanian friends, and almost starts a war. And while Osnard and most of his colleagues prove to be as corruptible as they are mendacious, the tailor finally comes clean with his wife and mends his marriage. br /br /Behind the satire is one of Le Carré's favorite topics, the willingness of Intelligence services to believe what they want (in this case the presence of a "silent opposition" to the local government), and, in the name of expediency, to spin the most tenuous threads into colorful yarns that they then weave into plausible fabrics and preposterous fabrications. Le Carré therefore seems to be suggesting that the various intelligence services with their vested interests are all accomplished tailors. | ||
 | The Tailor of Panama | |
| "Woven Out of Whole Cloth" | 2008-09-16 |
| I've watched and enjoyed "The Taylor of Panama" several times now. It seems to represent co-producer John Le Carré's homage to Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, and a spoof on the spy genre-film in general (It even includes a humorous pot-shot at "Casablanca."). Geoffrey Rush turns in a moving performance as Harry Pendel, the tailor, whose fantasy life makes him all too vulnerable for the enticements and blackmail of the seedy would-be, but never-actually-was, James Bond--Andrew Osnard, a burnt-out MI-Sixer, banished to Panama as punishment for peccadilloes in foreign postings [Pierce Brosnan does an engaging satire on his cinematic Bond aplomb.]. Between the fantasies of Pendel (whose dead but not-so-silent partner is portrayed by Harold Pinter) the situation soon gets out of hand and almost ruins Pendel's marriage (His wife is played by Jamie Lee Curtis.); it destroys his loyal Panamanian friends, and almost starts a war. And while Osnard and most of his colleagues prove to be as corruptible as they are mendacious, the tailor finally comes clean with his wife and mends his marriage. Behind the satire is one of Le Carré's favorite topics, the willingness of Intelligence services to believe what they want (in this case the presence of a "silent opposition" to the local government), and, in the name of expediency, to spin the most tenuous threads into colorful yarns that they then weave into plausible fabrics and preposterous fabrications. Le Carré therefore seems to be suggesting that the various intelligence services with their vested interests are all accomplished tailors. | ||
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