Change Your Image
galaxywarp-05718
Reviews
The Spanish Princess (2019)
Disappointing and Just Okay
For the high rating I really expected something more historically accurate and exciting. The problem with this series is that it is very soap opera like. There is so much historical material here, so much. And what did they waste it on? Blatantly poor writing where they changed key historical facts about Catherine of Aragon's life just for the sake of very bland drama, with no intricate twists & turns. The other thing that disturbs you when watching this series is that you can't really feel close to any of the characters. They are so straight forward and plain. It's almost annoying. The only thing that was great about this series were the costumes and some of the acting. I truly wish they had stayed more focused on the actual historical events instead of rewriting them for no reason. I would only recommend this series to people who like simple drama shows and know nothing about history.
The Serpent Queen (2022)
Unique and Boldly Entertaining
Sure this is not entirely historically accurate. There are some parts to the series which are tainted with modernism such as the constant use of the the f bomb which did not exist in the era in the way it is used today as a cuss word. It bothered me a little bit because the writers could be less lazy and actually research the cuss words used at the time. Now, the story itself is truly remarkable. You have a girl who is nothing until one day she is something and yet despite being something she is still stepped on. Nobody sees her value and treats her well. Not even her boyish, spineless husband, Henri. Yet the actors and actresses in this series bring the tale of Catherine De Medici alive. She was a true sneaky woman who could get away with so much, she was a villain, but a villain with cause. Always defending herself and brilliantly learning from her mistakes. The evolution of her character from an innocent and naiive girl, to an ambitious and mighty Queen is a unique take on her story. I truly recommend it for those who like period dramas and a fresh take on an iconic figure in history. With its witty humor and cleverness this show does not disappoint.
Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
Dangerously Overrated & Boring
I will be honest, I only watched this film because of the Dangerous Liaisons TV version on Starz. Many fans of this movie did not like the TV version, claiming this was better. Well, I watched both and concluded the TV series was more charming and entertaining than this movie could ever be. Perhaps the older generations remember this movie as a false legend and that is why they were so prude to the new version. This version, is dull, and very confusing if you have not had any back story to what is happening. You have no idea who is who, what is what, and you barely understand that the Marquise and Valmont were close lovers. If you had not have had any back story, this movie will be incredibly boring. Luckily for me I watched the 2022 TV series first, which in all honesty was like a prequel to this movie in a way and to the movie Valmont (1989). If you did not watch them, you have absolutely no idea what is happening and why, and why this bizarre and flimsy seduction game matters. You have no clue why the Marquise is really so set on destroying a pious woman, compared to the TV series you had a concept of why, but in this version, it was as if the Marquise was simply doing this for fun. Second of all, I did not like Valmont being played by John Malkovich, I think he was rather cold and not as charming or sly. In the TV series, in order to seduce the pious woman, Valmont adapts himself in a very convincing matter to her morals and values. In this version, it is very unrealistic for such a religious woman to fall for a man that is clumsy and immediately claims his love for her despite only knowing her for perhaps less than a month. This version's Valmont is poorly written and you feel detached from understanding or liking this character, especially at the start of the film. And the Marquise herself, you simply don't understand her character. She seems to be a woman who just enjoys to mess with people for her own pleasure. There is no real and obviously serious revenge story in this movie despite it supposed to be revolving around revenge. It's quite literally boring and meaningless banter between very rich people that honestly, nobody should care about. Perhaps one of the most irritating things about this film were the strange accents. I understand this was normal for period pieces of the time. However, what was a Scottish or American English accent doing in France? Normally the standard is British accents for period pieces in English no matter the location. Some characters switch back and forth between American accents (including Valmont) and British. How could the director not notice this? It's very irritating. And in all honesty, the only person in this film that does an excellent job at the role, is Uma Thurman (sorry young Keanu Reeves could not even play his role well). She displayed her emotions very well using her eyes and body language. The true hero is her. Overall, this movie is hideously overrated. Watch the 2022 TV series instead, the Marquise and Valmont there are far more entertaining and likeable.
Dangerous Liaisons (2022)
Ignore the Low Ratings Give This Show A Chance
I normally don't write ratings but seeing the low and undeserving marks really ticked me off. I also normally am not a fan of drama. Most reviewers are angry that it does not run off the source material. It's not something that's never been done before. Some complain of the race swapping, which honestly stepmother and stepson were a bit unusual, as for the time they would have been stripped of their titles due to their race, yet it doesn't really bother you if you delve into the story. In addition, some complain that it's based on sex tropes. Not quite, for the time this was rather normal to accuse one sex of something, still happens today so I'm not sure why people are haughty when dealt with this. Others complain it was written through a 21st century lens. Not exactly so, some things perhaps, but most of it was based on partially true events. The nobility of the 18th century were notorious hypocrites who claimed piousness when they did secret, grotesque, sexually perverse, and vile things. (such as the infamous Hellfire Clubs, even the Freemasons). The people so angry and butthurt about this show missed the point. It was rewritten in a way to describe how the wealthy get away with so much and how the poor are always judged for their actions, when the rich do far worse. I also loved how the series kept a realistic lens on what it was like to be a woman back then of the noble class and the lower classes. The volatile charade the women must play to protect themselves is vile. But done so as they have no other choice but to be married to their horrid husbands and cannot make a name for themselves due to their sex and the laws of the time. Dangerous Liaisons reveals this. The façade that Camille must put on is incredible, while it may seem like a stretch to go from a low class to upper class, but remember back then it was so much easier to get away with identity theft and lies and deception, it's been done before. The wealthy were smart as they were stupid. (Camille's rise to the upper class reminds me of Sainte-Germaine in a way). The perception of how others viewed one another was also so important, many people's reputation could go down off of a rumor. So, with that in mind, the contents of this show does not seem totally unrealistic to me. While the show did have some plot holes, the love and passion between Pascal Valmont and Camille is like a violent dance and it really made you forget the holes existed. Pascal and Camille, they're beautiful together, but unfortunately they can never be, something always drives them apart. It's this tug of war that keeps you on the edge of your seat and deeply intrigued of the deception at hand. Just when you think it couldn't get any worse it does. With regards to this, I am very disappointed that this show has been cancelled as they left us on quite a large cliffhanger. I normally don't like period pieces, but this was wonderfully written and the drama and excitement was perfect. It captivated me to the very end and Camille's secret was revealed. If only Camille herself knew. I felt very connected to her character. She walks upon threads yet she's so confident and she must survive with her companion Victoire. It's truly a unique and deeply underrated show. Please give Dangerous Liaisons a chance to open your mind and heart. You won't be sorry for the tales it will spin.