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Reviews
Sanditon (2019)
When men try to write like JA
I see this as a fail. Sorry but such anachronicity, so shallow and irritating the characters, devoid of the Austen humor . It achieved misogyny while touting women's issues.
Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
Acting was superb
While I have sympathy for Mary QoS and the lessons the cousins learned about marriage, I find the movie to be far less historical, far more fiction. Fiction because of the gushing portrayal of Mary's purity who was indeed plotting to claim the English throne. Fiction because jealousy is cited here as the reason for E's destruction of Mary. But Elizabeth was a consummately skilled monarch, her England profoundly traumatized by the brutal dark-age style terrorism Bloody Mary had just dealt her subjects. Elizabeth provided the peace of tolerance. Mary QoS while Catholic and professing religious tolerance in Scotland, showed brutality in the Highlander massacre; she proved herself a puppet of religious faction and ill prepared to rule England. Elizabeth knew this.
So the film is lavishly produced, and the acting superb, hence the 2 stars. But the direction and score is way over the top and its content insultingly simplistic to any thinking person. It would have been less misogynistic a film to portray Mary as being brought down by poor council and novice skill in a complex political era of budding separation of church and state, rather than transmuting the monarchs' femininity as primary to their actions.
Game of Thrones: The Long Night (2019)
Complex and parallel events come together so beautifully
I am thrilled with this episode, truly a triumph. I am disappointed in the fan response. I love Arya's storyline, the Red Woman's slow burning fate, those enchanting scenes of the dragons hovering above the clouds, the terrifying swarms of wights. Theon's redemption. So well written, well executed. That music "The Night King". Dolorous Ed! That crypt scene was fabulously gruesome!
Just an astounding episode, a solid 10
Absentia (2017)
For mature and patient audiences
Absentia is a great mystery with flaws. Too many 30s corridors, corners, dark spaces, flat music effects, prolonged stalking scenes. In fact, this season could have been unfolded in 5 episodes and in a far better way. Also dysphoric were some events of child abuse, which however is central to the storyline. In effect it wasn't easy to watch through to the end. I did, but not without skipping over the many prolonged scenes. Flashbacks were well done, good device here but the drowning scenes were overdone, some without purpose. Particularly that dishwasher reference at the end. The writers or editors really missed an opportunity with the reveal, no spoilers here, but the pertinent events should have been more granular and dendritic throughout the storyline, but this reveal was a bit cartoonish. Should have developed the childhood much earlier for example; so some elements introduced toward the end appeared shallow, others fodder for a chance at another season. Not the ground I would expect to cover in a full on 10 part season. Character studies were good, particularly for Byrne, and I really enjoyed the excellent trust/ distrust management throughout. The 'evil doctor' motif is a bit overplayed as well as the gore without benefit of basic medical insight. Hey, I'd be happy with losing the silly jello sound effects wounds always make on screen. In short, anything above a 7 score will get another season, I doubt I'd watch though, hence the 6