A LITTLE BEAR WILL MAKE A BIG SPLASH. After an earthquake makes him homeless, a young marmalade-loving bear makes his way from Peru to London where he’s temporarily cared for by the Brown family. The perennial childhood favorite Paddington makes his way to the big screen in a jolly, enthusiastic and very British adventure likely … Continue reading Paddington
HISTORY’S MOST UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIP. In 1887, Indian clerk Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal) is one of two men hired to deliver a ceremonial gift to Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) in England; the ruler becomes fascinated by Abdul and makes him her spiritual guide… Dench returned to the part of Queen Victoria after playing her in Mrs. … Continue reading Victoria & Abdul
WARNING: EXPOSING THE TRUTH MAY BE HAZARDOUS. I work for a major newspaper in Scandinavia. That means we are a powerful voice in the Swedish media landscape. But just like every other newspaper or network, we are owned by somebody, in this case a Norwegian corporation. The relationship between us and our owners is complicated, … Continue reading The Insider: Under Pressure
In 1953, aging Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Michael Gambon) suffers a stroke during dinner; the family and his closest associates agree to keep his condition a secret and a young nurse (Romola Garai) is assigned to him. This TV movie is based on actual events, a serious incident that was kept hidden from the public. … Continue reading Churchill’s Secret
LIGHTS. CAMERA. ABDUCTION. In 1951, Hollywood fixer Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin) juggles a busy life, including trying to find out where the studio’s biggest star (George Clooney) has disappeared… The Coen brothers on familiar turf, with yet another kidnapping and a comedy set half a century ago. The biggest appeal here is how lovingly the … Continue reading Hail, Caesar!
I recently finished a book called “The Norman Conquest” by Marc Morris, a riveting account of the most famous invasion of what is now the British Isles, one that changed England’s history fundamentally. I didn’t know much about this period. As a school kid, I had been made to understand that the Battle of Hastings … Continue reading 1066: The Conquest We Never See Onscreen
FOUR FRIENDS LOOKING FOR A LITTLE HARMONY. When the famous soprano Jean Horton (Maggie Smith) arrives at Beecham House, a home for retired musicians, old feelings are stirred up. Dustin Hoffman’s directing debut is a pleasant adaptation of a stage play that fuses drama and comedy in a very British manner. The story is simple … Continue reading Quartet
THICK AS THIEVES. ONLY THICKER. Stage actor Anthony O’Malley (Michael Caine) talks a younger colleague (Dylan Moran) into a scheme to con a gangster (Michael Gambon) out of £50,000. Watching Caine transform into a woman again, as he did in Dressed to Kill (1980), feels like a privilege but this minor comedy never even reached … Continue reading The Actors
Some will kill to have it. He will kill to protect it. Some time after a nuclear catastrophe, Eli (Denzel Washington) arrives in a small town run by Carnegie’s (Gary Oldman) vicious gang; when they learn that Eli has a very powerful book they do everything to grab it. The Hughes Brothers’ first movie in … Continue reading The Book of Eli
A true labor of love for Deadwood creator David Milch, this ambitious and star-studded look at the power players, horse trainers, gamblers and hangers-on at a race track in L.A. was abruptly canceled after the deaths of three horses. Considering the fact that Milch took his sweet time building the stories and character portrayals, the … Continue reading Luck
At the same time as Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) is getting to know his neighbor (Rachel Weisz) better, he receives a report with explosive contents from his long-time friend and boss, MI5 Director General Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon). Originally intended as a feature film, this intimate and quiet portrayal of an aging agent nevertheless fits … Continue reading Page Eight
IT ALL ENDS. There are people who enjoy the Harry Potter books and films… and then there are Potterheads, the fanatics. I’ve always belonged in the former category. I read the first novel, then concentrated on the movie adaptations. I did care about what would happen to Harry and his friends, but never had the … Continue reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2: Closing the Book
IT TAKES LEADERSHIP TO CONFRONT A NATION’S FEAR. IT TAKES FRIENDSHIP TO CONQUER YOUR OWN. After watching this brilliant drama, I knew I had to consult YouTube for the speech King George VI made after Britain’s declaration of war against Germany. Sometimes, historical events portrayed in films absurdly seem a bit small in comparison … Continue reading The King’s Speech: Royal Pains
