deadbull-95171 Review of The Dresser

The Dresser (2015 TV Movie)

A sad exhausted weak imitation of the 1983 Finney great version.

[2/10 · 24 March 2021]

Odd to see actors the class of Hopkins and Ian as weary exhausted indifferent 95 year old men mumbling indifferently through the identical lines of the 83 version and presumably the original stage play. The Finney version is passionate, even hammy, but always on fire and witty and animated. The elegant laid back understated charm of Hopkins, his famous parliamentary style of understatement is turned down to a barely audible series of mumblings and the dresser, has all the charm of a premature dismissal from a halfway house because he lost his state subsidy, and is too old, medicated, and senile to get on. The lines all sound recited and the actors infinitely bored, This "sir" as himself or as lear, is always Hopkins, indelibly elegant, but here he just looks like a tired patient all the way through....like a triple bypass patient an hour after the general wears off in the PACU. I have never seen either actor get involved in a something and give it so little life. they both seen so ancient and a good 40 years past their prime, at least 40 years. Neither need the money and they can pick their roles so why did they do this in the shadow of an infinitely more entertaining performance?