Foyles War, Season 6, #2 Killing Time (Grade C+)

 Director David Richards III
Writer:  David Kane
Cast:
Michael Kitchen  .. DCS Christopher Foyle
Honeysuckle Weeks Samantha Stewart

 summary -- racial prejudice at the nearby American base is echoed in the local community, In the meantime wealthy local men are targeted by a pair of thieves.

sez says: I am always interested to see how racism will be dealt with in fiction--it needs to be dealt with much more than it is.  This is a British version of what American racism looks like --and it looks bad.  But the blacks are idealized and the British hardly have any issue with race at all--except to cooperate with the Americans (which is suggested they shouldn't do--but they do not initiate the behavior---the American's are to blame here--and that is fiction. The Brits are every bit as racist as Americans.). An attempt is made to explore how Blacks cooped-with racism--but it was tepid and didn't ring true. For instance: The primary black character is asked way he would fight for a country that denies him rights at home. He responds that he believes in democracy.  Well--sure--but many Blacks were systematically denied the vote in the US at the time --soooo, if you are going to ask the character that question --then you ought to work a little harder at giving the guy a real answer.  Anyway these are petty complaints. The 'mystery' here is not much--and it solved by telling us the answers --not by any process of discover that makes sense. So the mystery part of this story does not much recommend itself--but on the whole the story still works as an entertainment, and it does try to take on a bigger issue than just a mystery  --so kudos for that.  (Grade C+)

Foyles War, Season 6, #1 - RUSSIAN HOUSE

BBC - TV Mystery Series
starring: Michael Kitchen; Anthony Howell; Honeysuckle Weeks; Julian Wadman; Ellie Haddington; Jay Simpson; Polly Maberly; Caroline Martin; Jay Benedict

sez says: this is not the best of "Foyle's War"-- the earlier seasons were excellent for the genre--and Michael Kitchen does an extraordinary job of creating this character--so it was with delight that we anticipated seeing him back --one more time-- on the job--now, after the war.  But this story about White Russians (who fought with the Germans in WW2) being mistreated after the war was not as good as most of the previous in the series. They even had to throw in a gun chase to try and spice it up--and it just didn't work. The characters are all in tact --but the story is really weak--better they didn't ring-dry a good thing--they should have let Foyle fade away with dignity. (Grade D+)

Miss Austen Regrets, 2008 (Grade B)

PBS - Masterpiece Theater Production based on the life and letters of Jane Austen, tells the story of the novelist's final years, examining why, despite setting the standard for romantic fiction, she died having never married

starring: Olivia Williams;  Greta Scacchi; Imogen Poots;  Phyllida Law; Tom Hiddleston;  Hugh Bonneville;  Adrian Edmondson;  Jack Huston

sez says: this was a  lovely diversion, well acted (esp Williams version of Austen) and nicely produced --costumes etc. were great.    And because much of it is based on  actual letters it provides at least the illusion that you are seeing something of the real life of the author. I enjoyed it. If your taste runs in this direction, you'll probably like it too. But it probably won't win over in converts if this type of drams isn;t your cup of tea to begin with.(Grade B)

The Unit, 2006, Season One (Grade F)

Noted playwright David Mamet created this television drama. So we thought it would be worth checking out. It is a story that follows an elite special forces unit charged with carrying out top-secret military operations for the U.S. government.  While the men live dare-devil-comic book hero lives they also have to live with countless secrets whcih create problems for their families.

Staring Dennis Haysbert; Scott Foley; Abby Brammell and others.

sez says: the first couple shows were ok--becasue Mamet wrote them, but they were just ok , in part because the actor were not up to the writing.  Generally the acting was weak all round--and then the writing got weaker and the stories didn't even hang together.. so we gave it up nad wound; suggest anyone else waster their time on this (Grade F)

The 39 Steps, 2010 Masterpiece Classic PBS (Grade D+)

Director:
Produced By Masterpiece Theater as a Masterpiece Classic
Starring: Rupert Penry-Jones; Lydia Leonard;  Patrick Malahide


PLOT: A spy on the run accosts Richard Hannay, a former intelligence agent, in his London flat. The desperate man gives him a coded notebook and then is shot dead by German agents bursting into the room. Hannay battles the intruders and escapes. He returns with a constable, who sizes up the evidence and decides that Hannay himself is the killer. Hannay is thus plunged into the cloak-and-dagger intrigue that precedes the outbreak of World War I. Pursued by police, but also chased by German agents who want the secret notebook, he makes his way to Scotland, where a German spy ring is executing a plan that will render Britain defenseless against invasion. Along the way, he is joined by combative suffragette Victoria Sinclair, who at first mistakes him for a liberal politician, but is unfazed to learn that he is an accused murderer and, she thinks, a "delusional maniac" on the subject of German espionage plots. Dangers and surprises lurk everywhere ...

sez says: why a remake of this classic? I guess, like me, people want to see what they have tried to do/new with this fabulous old Hitchcock movie.  So you've got something of a built-in audience fueled by the power of Hitchcock's genius.   I assure you --this in NOT a better version. The production values (sets, costumes, etc) are all around really good, but the story is silly and veers from here to there based on happenstance and luck -- and then people who were just in the water come out of he water in dry clothing.  The end is a real cop-out. I won't say what happens but I can say it made me moan and ask out loud, why did they have to do that.  Not much reason to watch this except as a mild diversion when you don;'t want to have to think about wha't going on on the screen. (Grade D+) 

Emma, 2009 (Grade A-)

Director: Jim O'Hanlon
Masterpiece Theater Classic Production --multi-part mini-series
Starring: Romola Garai, Michael Gambon, Jonny Lee Miller, Louise Dylan, Jefferson Hall, Jodhi May, Robert Bathurst, Tamsin Greig.

sez says: well I have to admit loving costume dramas, so it is no stretch for me to like this, the latest version of the perennial classic book, that ever-so-often gets made into movie. At first I didn't think I like Garai's version of Emma--then it grew on me, till I became fond of her take on this famous literary character.  And, what do you think? Did all the right people eventually get married to each other?  OK the down side of these stories is that you always know how they will end -- but I don't care, I love them anyway.  (Grade A-)  

Murder Rooms: Mysteries of the Real Sherlock Holmes (Grade C to C+)

Starring:  Ian Richardson; Charles Edwards

mjc says:  I am always looking for a good mystery to watch (some might say, desperately looking) and so far this small series based on a professor and Arthur Conan Doyle out and about solving mysteries has been enjoyable.  It is difficult to plot a mystery, especially in movie form, that is faithful to the audience.  That is, that presents possible suspects and solutions in such a way that the viewer has a chance to solve it, without resorting to a deus ex machina.  This accomplished that goal and with Ian Richardson driving the scenes he was in it worked as drama too (scenes without him, alas, fell flat more often than not).  For the genre, C+

sez says: the stories in this series are not terribly compelling but the acting is first rate and the set design, staging is excellent -- the sets are superior in every way -- the costuming is strong too --so too bad the story lines are so -- well, so-so.  Grade C