The World Beyond BetterMost > The Culture Tent
Resurrecting the Movies thread...
serious crayons:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on October 30, 2013, 10:11:28 am ---It's kind of difficult to avoid it when they make a fuss over it on the morning chat shows--unless, of course, you avoid the morning chat shows. ;D
--- End quote ---
Oh. Well, I do (avoid them). I used to watch them daily while working out, but pretty much fell out of the habit around the time Katie Couric left the Today Show. Unfortunately, much the same happened with my morning workouts. ;D
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: serious crayons on October 30, 2013, 01:22:19 pm ---Oh. Well, I do (avoid them).
--- End quote ---
I'm not so sure I wouldn't be better off if I avoided them, too, but Today is more or less the only way I keep up on what's going on in the popular culture. And some hard news, too.
delalluvia:
Still feverishly in the midst of my Benedict Cumberbatch kick. ;D
I'm not sure this qualifies as a movie, so mods, feel free to move it:
Parade's End 8.5/10
Wow, this is a mini-series, came out on HBO. Benedict Cumberbatch was nominated for an Emmy for his role as leading man Christopher Tietjens. I'm glad Michael Douglas won, but OMG, was Benedict robbed.
He was - as usual - brilliant in this role. It's a 5 part series and if you love him, or the British Edwardian era or Downtown Abbey, you will very much enjoy this.
I started off thinking I'd watch one episode a night but instead watched all 5 hours in a row and found myself unable to sleep at 3 am on weeknight. :P
Parade's End is based on a tetralogy by Ford Madox Ford. It is set mainly in England and on the Western Front in World War I. It has been hailed it as "possibly the greatest 20th-century novel in English".
It is a character study on the life of Christopher Tietjens, a genius government statistician from a wealthy landowning family. His wife Sylvia is an upper class beauty who seems intent on ruining him but at the same time, admires him above all other men and tries to win his love. Tietjens may or may not be the father of his wife's child. Meanwhile, after deciding with typical 'famous last words' to remain faithful to his not quite loveless marriage as per the standards of the gentleman's and social and cultural code he embodies ("the parade" of the title), he meets Valentine Wannop, a high-spirited pacifist and suffragette. Despite their instant attraction, Tietjens keeps to his code and does not pursue her despite what vicious gossip starts. The series follows Tietjens as WWI approaches and then his progress in the army in France and Belgium, as well as Sylvia and Valentine in their separate paths over the course of the war. It includes direct references to the changing social and gender roles and women's rights.
Benedict's portrayal of a man caught between eras, lashed by convention and its breakdown, attacked from all sides, becoming "a man with no friends whatsoever" and in constant emotional pain will make you believe you can fall in love with a fictional character. :-* :-* :-*
His wife is actually much more sympathetic here than the novels, apparently, which is good as it adds to the depth of her character and the emotional turmoil of Christopher. IOW, she's not what you expect.
As one reviewer said,
"It makes Downtown Abbey look like Teletubbies". ;D
Must see.
oilgun:
Look who's on the cover of Vogue Homme this month, Alain Delon's youngest son, Alain Fabien:
oilgun:
R.I.P. Paul Walker
Irony of ironies, he died in a fiery car crash.
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