A Fic Challenge, a Mini-Series and A Film
Aug. 13th, 2017 11:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
redfiona99From Musesfool, the OPI Nailvarnish Colors as Prompts fest. Full details here - http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/953230.html
(I may be working on a couple already.)
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One of the weirder Freeview channels was showing the 2003 version of the Lion in Winter. Which was an odd experience. Because I know the film very well. And it's not that it's bad.
Part of the problem is that, to pinch a line from Douglas Adams, very little money has been spared to show no money has been spared, but most of the crowd scenes looked like extras had been told to look like they're having lots of fun.
Nothing wrong with their Henry or Eleanor, though the characters are read very differently. I think there's a conscious decision to underplay the theatricality of the roles, which makes very little sense to me but it does affect the feel of the thing. The other problem is that of the younger people, Rafe Spall as John is by far the strongest actor, and that really skews things because where the film one is just a sulky lump, he's actually cruel to the servants, but he's very good at making you feel sorry for John.
I would have watched the rest of it but a friend called and we went to see Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
So I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the opening best of all. I entirely understand anyone who complains that parts of it feel like a less fun retread of the Fifth Element, but bits of it stand up on its own. Luc Besson continues to be a magnificent director, he just needs help with his scripts. Like, possibly someone going "people don't speak like that" every now and again. It would be a good start.
I think having slightly stronger actors in the lead roles would help too. Because Clive Owen and whoever played General Okto-Bar did a much better job of coping with the dialogue than Dane DeHaan or Cara Delevigne.
But I happily forgive all of that for the visuals. I am a Cinema du Look girl, and always will be.
(I may be working on a couple already.)
~~~~
One of the weirder Freeview channels was showing the 2003 version of the Lion in Winter. Which was an odd experience. Because I know the film very well. And it's not that it's bad.
Part of the problem is that, to pinch a line from Douglas Adams, very little money has been spared to show no money has been spared, but most of the crowd scenes looked like extras had been told to look like they're having lots of fun.
Nothing wrong with their Henry or Eleanor, though the characters are read very differently. I think there's a conscious decision to underplay the theatricality of the roles, which makes very little sense to me but it does affect the feel of the thing. The other problem is that of the younger people, Rafe Spall as John is by far the strongest actor, and that really skews things because where the film one is just a sulky lump, he's actually cruel to the servants, but he's very good at making you feel sorry for John.
I would have watched the rest of it but a friend called and we went to see Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets.
So I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the opening best of all. I entirely understand anyone who complains that parts of it feel like a less fun retread of the Fifth Element, but bits of it stand up on its own. Luc Besson continues to be a magnificent director, he just needs help with his scripts. Like, possibly someone going "people don't speak like that" every now and again. It would be a good start.
I think having slightly stronger actors in the lead roles would help too. Because Clive Owen and whoever played General Okto-Bar did a much better job of coping with the dialogue than Dane DeHaan or Cara Delevigne.
But I happily forgive all of that for the visuals. I am a Cinema du Look girl, and always will be.
