Reviews

Many series from the 1970s are dated by the time they are broadcast and are generally of nothing more than historical interest. However, this British series (while certainly being a nice repository of the dreadful 70s fashions) has aged remarkably well. Most of the episodes have at least one relatively well-known American actor as the "guest star" (e.g. Barbara Feldon, Donna Mills, Gary Collins, George Chakiris, etc...all very young and in their prime) while the rest of the cast are British. Some of the episodes have supernatural overtones, some are straightforward crime stories but all have intriguing and intertwined plots that cover a great deal of ground in one hour. There's even a few I could see easily expanded into full length features (e.g. Sleepwalker). They are not all of the same quality though. They range from gothically cringy tales (Nurse Will it Make it Better) to semi-predictable plot twists (Lady Killer). From wild spy stories (In The Steps of a Dead Man) to outright horror (File it Under Fear). It's an enjoyable series that doesn't wear the seventies on its sleeve.

Angsty movie about an upper middle class woman who is unhappy with her life and tries to start over. I watched it mainly because I really like its theme song (What Are You Doing with the Rest of Your Life). Jean Simmons is lovely and even compelling as the woman looking for her "happy ending" and not really finding it. But my goodness, she and nearly all the characters come across as whiny, self involved social drinkers whose drinking passed "social" long ago. It's hard to think of a movie where you will find more navel-gazing and self-finding. Perhaps it came across as more edgy in the late 60s. The most honest moment of emotion is when Jean Simmons' character confronts her somewhat abandoned daughter (whom you've almost forgotten about) late in the film. The teenager is sad, angry and confused. It's a good reminder of how much children can suffer for their parents' psychological malaise.

For those that may not know, the basic plot is this: Shy and reserved Achi has turned 30 and discovers that he has been given the power to read people's minds when he touches them. Through this power, he inadvertently discovers that his extremely competent and handsome colleague, Karan, is in love with him. This results in some big changes in Achi's life.

It's worth comparing the Thai version to the Japanese version of this manga. Each has their strengths and weaknesses. The overall production values in the Japanese series are better as is the acting in general. But there is something incredibly charming about this series despite it being a bit rough in spots. (The three couples are all uniformly cute and have nice chemistry but still feel like friends rather than lovers). I think the new characters and relationships, the integration of the Thai culture into the plotline, and the positive messages inherent in the original story (e.g. Goodness and kindness are important traits in a love partner) all make the series worth watching.

Doris and Doreen are the sole members of a department at a large company who spend most of their day gossiping, backbiting, complaining and, occasionally, working. Doris (played by Prunella Scales) is a blunt-natured, single woman with a dependent mother who is intelligent but a bit lazy. She obviously could be doing more than she is but chooses not to, wielding her nearly encyclopedic knowledge of rules and procedures as both shield and sword. Doreen (played by Patricia Routledge) is a slightly spacy married woman who lords her married status frequently over Doris. She comes across as the kind of woman who seems nice but really isn't. The women don't particularly like each other but years of working together have created a tacit agreement to do as little work as they can possibly get away with. Unfortunately, the winds of change blow and the elements of their insulated world are scattered.

The play is well structured and the random topics of conversation (forms with numbers, requisitions, interdepartmental feuds) that make-up the first act come back to haunt the two women in the second act as it becomes clearer and clearer that something is afoot in their department that will alter their lives and not for the better. Scales and Routledge are both brilliant in their roles creating very real characters who are obsessed with the trivial and mundane and ill-prepared for a new office environment.

My only criticism is that the context they work in is so vaguely defined. It's never clear precisely what their department is or what the company they work for is about. It's probably purposeful to give the presentation a more universal feel but while the characters feel very real, the world they live in lacks that grounding. But overall, a very entertaining play.

P. S. My favorite quote towards the end: "Doris, I'm frightened! Look at the point on those pencils!"

Prunella Scales plays a recently widowed woman living with her 18 year old daughter in the flat above and her 70 something mother in the flat below. Sarah's husband's death (the titular Henry) has somewhat destabilized life for these women and while they most definitely care for one another, they also get on each other's nerves on a regular basis. Joan Sanderson is absolutely hilarious playing Scales' interfering mother with an incredible ability to either blissfully ignore personal criticism directed at her (usually from "Sarah dear") or tartly respond to it. Scales is also funny as she trods angrily down to her mother's flat or tentatively and carefully up to her daughter's. She often finds herself torn between maternal concern for her flighty daughter (nicely played by Janine Wood) and fear of turning into her own mother. She creates a very human character in Sarah who makes as many mistakes as she does wise choices in restructuring her life without her husband. And despite the grim subject matter, the series is much more funny than sad.

This film is set in an alternative world where high class families have supernatural abilities and warriors fight against the "grotesques", evil spirits that can possess the bodies of humans. A young girl from one of these families is born without any supernatural gifts and is neglected and abused as a result. She is married off to the stern captain of a troop of "anti-grotesques" who is actually good-hearted and she receives kindness for the first time in her life and blooms as a result. Neither is aware that the young woman is the progeny of a family with unique abilities craved by others seeking power and influence.

I came to this movie with absolutely no knowledge of the manga and anime upon which it is based. I think they do a good job in laying out the nature of the world in which it takes place. It's interesting to see old fashioned clothes and modern conveniences (like cars) side by side in a fantasy context. The two main actors are very good and the film works because you believe in them and their relationship. It's an odd title (my happy marriage) but apt in that the affection between Kudo and Mia is really the core of the story and what drives the plot forward. By necessity, the action is a bit rushed (though I didn't feel it the first time through). My only criticism is that the climax of the movies is confusing (but still effective) as the screenplay doesn't have time to help us understand exactly what's happening and why. I think fans of the anime might find it a little disappointing but I found it an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours.

Marion Davies plays Pat, a young girl who decides to assert herself, despite the wrath of her domineering mother and the obliviousness of her romantic target, a man who wants to date her snobbish sister. Marion Davies is absolutely charming in this silent film and Marie Dressler, as her mother, more than her match in the comedy department. The plot is slight and nothing more than excuse for a few comical hijinks as Pat works hard to get the world's attention for a change. It's silly fun from beginning to end and, despite being a silent movie, surprisingly witty. And the scene where Marion Davies does impressions of the other stars of the era is worth seeing for itself.

This documentary is really just a spoken reflection from Leslie Caron on her career and life (her son offers a couple of brief interludes). It is interesting to get her perspective on some of her high profile films. There's also a small trace of egoism in some of her remarks (e.g. She seems to believe that she could have played the role of Bonnie in "Bonnie and Clyde"!). It makes her more interestingly human. In the end, the documentary feels a bit shallow as it skips over long stretches of her life and seems more focused on the beginnings of and current status of her career. However, Caron comes across as a charming and warm-natured woman who doesn't seem to be that reluctant to be a star. And that's okay. As long as she lives, Caron will shine brightly.

"Pride and Prejudice" has to be one of the most reworked, revamped, and reconceptualized of Jane Austen's books. And with good reason. Its characters are compelling, the writing is witty, it deals with universal themes and it's funny! I think this is why I would have to call this web series one of the best of the modern "retellings" of Pride and Prejudice. It takes those themes of blindness, hubris and self awareness and overlays it onto the video diary of a young graduate student named Lizzie Bennett. And the series is witty and funny in its own unique way.

The series isn't perfect. The character of Lizzie comes across as a bit abrasive at times. It's also stretches credibility to believe that individuals would have these incredibly personal conversations and revelations in front of a camera (though in our reality tv saturated society, maybe that's not such a stretch). In addition, the problem that befalls Lydia is certainly relevant but also illegal. Instead of handwringing, they could have just called the cops or sued or something. Finally, I understand why it was done but the story is a just a bit weaker for not allowing us more direct interaction with the wonderfully comic characters of Mr. And Mrs. Bennett.

But the pros outweigh the cons. First of all, the performers are all excellent. Ashley Clements is, for the most part, offers us a decent Lizzie Bennett, critical, prickly, a bit self absorbed but with enough self awareness to recognize when she has done wrong. As for the rest, I don't think there was a weak actor in the bunch. I really enjoyed Julia Cho's Charlotte Lu who ends up being the countering voice of reason to Lizzie's emotionality. Laura Spencer IS Jane Bennett. And kudos to Mary Kate Wiles as the wild Lydia. The first time I watched the series, I didn't know there were a series of Lydia videos designed, I believe, to flesh out her character a bit more. However, when I watched them I realized that they were a bit superfluous. Wiles is so good in her portrayal that you don't need the extra videos to understand why she ends up doing some of the things she does.

And can I say how BRILLIANT it was to hold back on showing Darcy until his confession scene? By the time, the actor shows up, I imagine first time viewers are DYING to see him. A little bit goes a long way! (Particularly with Austen). I'm not a connoisseur of web series but this has to be one of the best out there.

An ambitious psychology professor is brainwashed into believing he's an alien by an amoral group of scientists. However, their experiment gets out of control when the professor begins acting Messiah-ish. There are definitely some laugh out loud moments in this film: Simon's first attempt in the sensory deprivation tank, Madeline Khan's goofy seduction of Simon, and, oh so funny, the TV worshipping cult of teenagers (their ritualistic chant in front of the "magic box" is alone worth watching). Alan Arkin gives a committed performance. But my favorite character was his girlfriend played by Judy Graubart. Best known for her stint on "The Electric Company", she provides a sweet sensible counterpoint to the film's general lunacy. And the message that ordinary isn't so bad is a decent lesson to promote. But the movie is just a little too weird and Arkin's character isn't terribly sympathetic. A bit of tweaking would have created a film more memorable.

A young Bess Armstrong is getting married to handsome Mark Harmon and when her lovelorn coworker (played by Richard Thomas) finds out, all heck breaks loose. Thomas spends the rest of the film pursuing Armstrong's character who is planning the wedding with her sweetly domineering mother-in-law played by Katherine Helmond. Thomas, after being interrogated by his own parents regarding his lackluster love life, claims that he is getting married and ANOTHER wedding is planned. (And as happens in Movieland, the two weddings are occurring on the very same day). Now, who will Bess choose?

I remember watching this when it first aired, oh so many years ago, and finding it enjoyable and funny. The movie is full of familiar faces (Van Johnson, Audra Lindley, Fabian, Mimi Kennedy, Vic Tayback). It's typical romantic comedy fluff and Bess Armstrong is so cute and endearing you get that more than one guy would be interested. As an adult, I realize that Thomas' character's behavior is pretty stalkerish (though Armstrong is more irritated by it initially than really upset). As long as you don't treat it as a model for how to win a girl over, it's enjoyable to reflect on how innocent the film is compared to the romantic comedies of today.

Miss Fozzard is taking care of her difficult brother Bernard who is recovering from a stroke and finds herself a new chiropodist. I won't say how the eponymous Miss Fozzard finds her feet except to say that this monologue goes in an unexpected and darkly humorous direction. Patricia Routledge is very engaging as the middle aged Miss Fozzard who has never had anything interesting happen to her and never done anything interesting either. But she acquires an odd sort of independence by the end of the sketch. Of course, Patricia Routledge could recite the value of pi to 1000 digits and we'd still be enthralled. She effortlessly assumes the voices of all the characters and you easily understand the personality of each one. Such a great actress!

If you go into this movie expecting one of those true crime dramas, you'll be disappointed. If you go in hoping for a dramedy about a domineering mother in law, you'll have expectations met. Joanna Kerns is wonderful as the brittle controlling mother whose attempts to break up her daughter's relationship with a kind mechanic are many, varied and comically inept. She creates a memorable character in Celeste Cooper and the movie sags when she's not on the screen. But I think you have to see this film as satirical. I do believe there are mothers like Celeste out there but I doubt there are perfect daughters like Celeste's, perfect boyfriends like Ted, perfect mother in laws like Ted's mom and perfect milquetoasts like Celeste's husband. Nope. The movie is a black comedy at its heart and enjoyable from that perspective.

And they are as follows: Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno and Sally Field. (Okay, if you like football, there will be a fifth: Tom Brady). This movie has the barest of plots (four ladies realize their dream to see the SuperBowl and their favorite player, Tom Brady). Some of the events that play out make no sense. (For example, when they dance their way into the SuperBowl. I'll be the first to say they dance better than I do but the crowd acts like they've just seen Cirque de Soleil not four old broads doing the frug.). But these four pros take thinly written characters and make them stand out. Sally Field is probably the funniest as the retired math professor who loves spouting statistics. Jane Fonda, who looks incredible, is sympathetic as the aging sexpot who really just wants to have a comfortable romance. Rita Moreno is great as a grieving widow with a penchant for gambling. And Lily Tomlin, as the de facto leader of the quartet, leaves the snark behind to play an ordinary woman with health issues that just wants to have one last fun trip with her friends. Check your brain at the door, accept that this is silly sentimental nonsense half the time and remember that this could be the last time we see any one of these great actresses.

A newspaper recipe columnist in a small South African community has to take over the advice column of said paper and gets swept up in a criminal investigation when one of her letter writers is murdered.

This series is a mixed bag overall but I would still recommend watching it. The investigation of the abused wife's murder is spread across all 10 episodes and is a bit tepid as murder mysteries go. I had figured out who the murderer most likely was by around the second or third episode. I think you could have jettisoned the whole crime angle and focused on Tannie Maria and her food-laced advice column and it would still have been a satisfying series. The somewhat violent climax in the last two episodes felt at odds with the series' overall gentle, somewhat humorous tone. (And the murderer's actions at the end make absolutely no sense anyway but I won't say more than that)

What works in this series is the unfamiliar context (South Africa...I'm from the U. S.), a skillful use of flashbacks, the beautifully filmed scenery and food, and the actors. Maria Doyle Kennedy makes for an unusual detective. She's soft spoken, sweet-natured, introverted and even a bit passive at times. Tony Kgoroge is appropriately brusque as the chief detective (and love interest). Kylie Fisher as the fiery young journalist (Maria's fellow investigator) is very good as a young woman with a lot of stuff on her plate. And Arno Greef is very likable as her good-natured, kinda-lunk-headed, boyfriend. And all the other actors are enjoyable as well.

To sum up: The series has an uneven tone overall but I think with some script-tightening, it could be something special. I enjoyed watching it.

This was not originally a Jane Marple mystery but I feel her involvement was a smooth addition (unlike Endless Night where her character just doesn't work at all). However, the writers have chosen to change the motive of the murderer to something dark, twisted and tragic (in the original it's just dark and twisted). It works okay but is so grim that it sucks the fun out of a murder mystery where MANY people die all seemingly by accident. They even changed the implication of the title. In the original, the statement is "When no one suspects you, murder is easy". Here it's "murder is easy when no one thinks it's murder". The veracity of either statement could probably be challenged but it makes for a catchy title. I like the 1982 film version of the book with no Marple and a climax that's pretty intense. This one is only slight above average.