Gideon's Daughter (2006) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)"Gideon's Daughter" is a film written and directed by the brilliant Stephen Poliakoff. Poliakoff's movies focus on a slice of life at a particular moment in history; he tries to capture what is then happening in England and how it might affect the future. The second disk in this set explores his philosophy in depth and how it impacts his films.
In this movie, Poliakoff captures the emptiness of celebrity culture, particularly at the time of Princess Diana's death, when it had reached unheard of heights. Bill Nighy, one of England's best actors, portrays a PR guru who is at the pinnacle of his career, and whose "guidance" just everyone wants. Ironically, Nighy's character is divorced from all those around him, grieving over the broken relationship with his hostile daughter. He is also immersed in a new relationship with Miranda Richardson. His unresponsiveness is interpreted by different people to meet their own expectations, so the farther he drifts from PR, the more they clamor for his help.
This is an outstanding film, beautifully acted, superbly written that is totally absorbing. Highly recommended.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Gideon's Daughter (2006)

Gideon Warner is a hugely successful public relations consultant to the wealthy, to politicians, to businessmen and rising starlets. Their hair, their cloths, where they go and with who ? Gideon advises them on everything. With all his skills, he is the perfect man to package the Millennium celebrations and sell them to the rest of the world. But disillusioned with the world in which he works and increasingly concerned over the growing distance between he and his daughter, Gideon takes less and less notice of his business, just as clients seem to want him more and more. He clings to his slowly flourishing relationship with Stella ? a mother grieving for her dead son ? as his world spins further out of control. Only together can they make it stop. DVD Features:Interviews:Commentary by Stephen Poliakoff Robert Lindsay Interview Miranda Richardson Interview Bill Nighy Interview Emily Blunt Interview Ronni Ancona Interview Tom Hardy Interview Other:Timeshift Documentary about Stephen Poliakoff

Get 37% OFF

Click here for more information about Gideon's Daughter (2006)

Sweeney Todd - The Director's Cut (2006) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Although some have tried to argue that he was an actual person, it seems likely that the story of a throat-cutting barber named Sweeney Todd arose first as a bit of urban myth that was developed into an 1846 story titled THE STRING OF PEARLS by writer Thomas Prest. A year later the story was adapted to the stage as SWEENEY TODD, THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET. It proved a popular ticket, and in age that knew little of copyright law, versions of the play were soon springing up all over the place, each one tweaking the story a little bit in the process. Consequently, it is almost impossible to say that any one particular version is "more authentic" than any other.
In this particular version, filmed for BBC in 2006, Todd (Ray Winstone)is a barber who spent twenty years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Released, he finds himself shaving a prison guard and on sudden impulse slits the man's throat. One thing leads to another, as you might say, and he soon makes the acquaintance of bake-shop worker Mrs. Lovett (Essie Davis); his fondness for her not only leads him to set her up in her own business, but to supply the occasional cut of meat as well. The twist to this particular version of the story is in the relationship between Todd and Lovett, the latter of whom is more sinned against than sinning.
The script is quite clever, essentially winding most of Todd's motives (including his interest in Mrs. Lovett) around his own mistreatment while an inmate of the notorious Newgate prison, and both Winstone and Davis are extremely impressive in their performances. But for all the blood, and there is aplenty, and for all the sex, and there is some, the film looks exactly like what it is: a made-for-television movie. It is also rather slow and quite often a bit too "stiff upper lip" for its own good.
The DVD release offers a good transfer but, excepting cast credits, nothing in the way of bonus material. Those interested in the various directions the story has taken will find it intriguing, but most others will likely be only mildly interested.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Click Here to see more reviews about: Sweeney Todd - The Director's Cut (2006)

SWEENEY TODD - DVD Movie

Get 10% OFF

Click here for more information about Sweeney Todd - The Director's Cut (2006)

Masterpiece Theatre: Elizabeth I - The Virgin Queen (2005) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is a very interesting programme, produced in Britain and originally shown on the PBS series, Masterpiece Theatre.
This miniseries was directed by Coky Giedroyc, a veteran of television productions in Britain, including another royal-themed miniseries, 'William and Mary', in 2003. Giedroyc brings an interesting modern twist to the series - rather than filming things in majestic, sweeping camera pans with classical music as a background, and rather than having the dialogue (and acting) be in a stilted, falsely formal style, Giedroyc incorporates modern music with medieval and Celtic flavouring to it (both of which have experienced a renaissance of sorts in the past decade), and the situations are decidedly modern without being out of place in their own times.
This presents the life of Elizabeth from her young adulthood under Queen Mary, as a supposed participant in intrigues against the Catholic Queen, through to her death after serving decades on the throne of England as the Virgin Queen, the queen who never married. In fact, the miniseries plays a tantalising game with Elizabeth's virginity, showing her desires (as well as those around her) without ever giving up the game of 'was she or wasn't she?' Anne-Marie Duff plays the part of Elizabeth, and does a remarkably able job for such a complex figure. Duff won the Irish Television award and was nominated for the BAFTA award for best actress in a television drama in another series, 'Shameless', last year.
Duff is joined by Tom Hardy, who plays the role of Robert Dudley, the favourite of Queen Elizabeth. Dudley is also an extraordinarily complex role, as he played several sides in the political struggles during Elizabeth's early reign, and was part of a family well experienced in regal intrigue - Robert Dudley's family had tried to manage the reign of Elizabeth's brother Edward, engineer the accession of Lady Jane Grey (placing Guildford Dudley on the throne with her), and is sometimes referred to as 'the uncrowned kings of England'. In fact, perhaps the most stunning single scene in this miniseries is after Elizabeth has elevated Robert Dudley to the earldom of Leicester, and during her illness, he sits upon the throne as the protector of the realm. Hardy is well suited to this role, and plays it with skill.
The sets are appropriate to their time period, neither too ornate nor too medieval; the costumes also have a touch of modernity to them, but are still primarily of the period. The situations presented give good insight into the overall pattern of Elizabeth's reign and some of the principal concerns during that time period, although to compress such a long reign into such a short time frame as a four-hour miniseries by necessity means that the history has had to be selectively chosen. Elizabeth faced problems from without and within, many of which were far more complex and pressing than her marriage issue. In the end, Elizabeth made the right decision for the time, if not for the future.
This is a great production for television, and holds up well against other major productions featuring the Virgin Queen Elizabeth of a few years ago.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Masterpiece Theatre: Elizabeth I - The Virgin Queen (2005)

As The Virgin Queen begins, a young Elizabeth is imprisoned in the Tower of London by Queen Mary, charged with conspiracy and treason. Both women are daughters of the ruthless and oft-married Henry VIII, who plunged England into turmoil by breaking with the Roman Catholic Church. Mary wants to reunite with Rome, while Elizabeth is determined to stand by her Protestant faith--a potentially fatal choice. But Elizabeth’s life takes an unexpected turn when Mary dies, leaving no heir to the throne. As the new queen, Elizabeth discovers the harsh realities of ruling a religiously divided nation and must learn to outwit her enemies and charm those who conspire to their own ends.Soon under pressure to secure a politically advantageous marriage, the coquettish Elizabeth rejects a string of eligible royal bachelors from abroad, openly preferring the burning affections of her childhood playmate, the athletic, handsome--and married--Robert Dudley. But is she toying with him as she is with her other suitors?Starring Anne-Marie Duff (The Aristocrats, The Magdalene Sisters) as the shrewd and captivating queen who defended her throne amidst an atmosphere of plotting and intrigue, torture and murder, The Virgin Queen is a riveting drama that explores the fascinating 44-year reign of Elizabeth I.

Get 43% OFF

Click here for more information about Masterpiece Theatre: Elizabeth I - The Virgin Queen (2005)