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Reviews
The Witness for the Prosecution (2016)
Tasty Version of Classic Christie Short Story
Tightly written and beautifully directed, a complex mystery, with enjoyable twists throughout. Artfully expanding on the original short story, but don't read it ahead of time! Ignore the negative comments and enjoy a very classy movie-length period mystery. Wonderful, distinctive and nuanced performances by the cast as well, especially Toby Jones and Andrea Riseborough, with Julian Jarrold's meticulous direction.
The Suspicions of Mr Whicher: The Murder at Road Hill House (2011)
Excellent Period Mystery
I thank the positive reviewers who brought this to my attention. As one who regularly watches period dramas, I found the recreation of 1860's England to be very well done. The cast is uniformly excellent, and the story compelling. Excellent writing and directing. Paddy Considine as Mr. Whicher has a rugged appearance, but plays effectively the analytical mind that drives his character. I am looking forward to subsequent episodes.
Victoria (2016)
What the Absence of Writing Talent Looks Like
I concur with most of the negative reviews here, while allowing for the fact that great screenwriters should and do take liberties with historical material. The art is in making compelling and revealing stories from those liberties. There are marvelous tales hidden in the history of Victoria and Albert, but it requires hard work to bring them to life.
We have the unusual opportunity to compare Victoria, which is written be someone I can only the think of as a soap-opera hack -- whose TV credits consist of a string of reality TV series -- with the work of Peter Morgan and his incredibly brilliant work on The Crown -- as well as the equal brilliance of Julian Fellowes, whose Downton Abbey is cited so often in these reviews. The Brits are fantastic at period TV production, and their skills have sustained Masterpiece Theater in the US for decades. Yet without writing with the sophistication, wisdom and experience of seasoned screenwriters like these two, whose writing builds character, sustains tension, and reveals meaningful subtleties, all of the costumes and fine cinematography are but a pretty coat of paint over an empty shell. A tawdry illusion that may pass the time of viewers who don't know better, but fails utterly to truly engage both the brain and the heart. Daisy... go back to these superior writers and polish your craft before you inflict us with more of this vapid fluff!