Saturday, December 25, 2010

Red Riding Trilogy: '74 / '80 / '83, 2009 (Grade B+)

this is three separate movies all tied together by an original crime
Directors: Jullian Jarrold; James Marsh; Anand Tucker
Any Awards? don't know of any
CAST: Andrew Garfield; David Morrissey; John Henshaw; Anthony Flanagan; Warren Clarke;  Jennifer Hennessy;  Peter Mullan;  Rachel Jane Allen;  Paddy Considine;  Rebecca Hall; James Fox;  David Calder;  Nicholas Woodeson;  Ron Cook;  Lisa Howard;  Chris Walker;  Shaun Dooley;  Jim Carter; Sean Bean; Sean Harris;  Steven Robertson
plot summary:  this sweeping trilogy traces the agonizingly protracted search for the mysterious Yorkshire Ripper and the rampant police corruption that impeded the investigation. Inspired by actual events and adapted from David Peace's Red Riding series of novels, this neo-noir epic that comes close to being great.
sez says:  well done, well acted, a few loose ends in the story --but overall it held together as a real 'who done it' that wasn't obvious--but never strayed from being believable.  Good guys get killed off a little too often--but another good guy always comes along and another thread is found and in the end all is made whole
mjc says  production values and cinematography provided an intriguing telling of a fictionalization of a series of murders on the north of England

Life with Judy Garland: Me and My Shadows, 2001 (Grade C+)

Director: Robert Allan Ackerman
Awards? Yes, Emmys for Davis and Blanchard
CAST:  Judy Davis; Victor Garber; Hugh Laurie;  John Benjamin Hickey;  Sonia Smits;  Jayne Eastwood;  Daniel Kash;  Alison Pill;  Aidan Devine;  Stewart Bick;  Tammy Blanchard;  Amber Metcalf
plot summary:  The triumphs and failures of actress and singer Judy Garland are presented in this sweeping biopic, which convincingly depicts her childhood career, breakthrough with The Wizard of Oz, struggles with addiction and failed marriages. Based on a book by Lorna Luft, Garland's daughter, this television film earned leading actress Judy Davis and supporting actress Tammy Blanchard Emmy Awards for playing the same role.
SEZ Says: I love Judy Davis and she, as always, did a fine job.  This is a little long but even so it didn't drag--even at 170 minutes.. Garland seems to be a topic of unending interest. Her life was not an easy one--her talent was large--and she was unstable.  Add to that a never ending problem with drugs and it is amazing that she lasted as long as she did.
MJC says:  Judy Davis was real--production values were limited.